The New England Patriots walked off the field Sunday with more than just a 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills - they left with a hard dose of reality. And no one summed it up better than veteran tight end Hunter Henry.
Henry, who finished the game with just one catch for 18 yards on three targets, didn’t shy away from accountability. One of those missed opportunities came at a crucial moment late in the game - a pass that slipped through his hands, stalling a drive the Patriots desperately needed to extend. It was the kind of play that sticks with a player, and Henry owned it.
“This is definitely a reality check,” he said postgame. “That’s a good football team… but we’ve gotta get a lot better, fast.”
And he’s right. For as much progress as the Patriots have made this season, Sunday’s second-half performance was a reminder that the margin for error in the NFL is razor-thin - especially against playoff-caliber opponents like Buffalo. The Patriots had their chances, but execution in key moments just wasn’t there.
The dropped pass by Henry wasn’t the only issue, but it did encapsulate a broader problem: missed opportunities and a lack of consistency when it mattered most. The Patriots looked sharp early, but as the game wore on, Buffalo made the necessary adjustments - and New England didn’t respond with the same urgency.
Still, if there’s a silver lining, it’s this: better to get exposed now than in January. The postseason is no place for learning lessons.
That’s what December is for. And if the Patriots want to be playing meaningful football deep into the winter, they’ll need to take this loss for what it is - a wake-up call.
There’s no question the team has the talent to compete. But as Henry pointed out, talent alone won’t cut it.
The execution, the focus, the ability to rise in high-pressure moments - that’s what separates contenders from pretenders. And with the playoffs looming, the Patriots have to tighten things up fast.
This wasn’t a collapse. It was a gut-check. And how they respond will say more about this team than anything that happened on Sunday.