Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast with Nick Cattles · Boston Sports Journal

Bedard breaks down the Patriots' loss to the Bills with 98.5 The SportsHub

·27 min·2 clips
Greg Bedard reveals why Drake May's fourth-quarter performance against the Bills is deeply concerning.
Greg Bedard joins the 98.5 The Sports Hub Patriots postgame show to analyze a 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Hosts Mark Dondero and Joe Murray press Bedard on the most concerning aspects of the collapse after a 21-0 lead. Bedard immediately points to the defense allowing five consecutive touchdown passes in the second half. He also finds Drake Maye and the offense alarming, noting they went 1-for-4 for five yards in the fourth quarter. The run defense surrendered 115 yards and two touchdowns in the second half while the offense managed only 100 total yards. Bedard highlights the unusual situation of linebacker Robert Spillane being active but not playing, calling it gamesmanship rarely seen in his 20-year career. He speculates the Bills switched to more man coverage after halftime, which confused Maye and eliminated his scrambling. Bedard identifies a Carlton Davis penalty on a third-and-long as a potential turning point, but notes there was no single catastrophic play. He analyzes two controversial officiating calls, including a Marcus Jones interception review that still resulted in a Bills first down due to a pass interference flag. A surprising insight is Bedard's pre-game column about how Super Bowl-winning teams rarely have extremely long winning streaks, suggesting a loss could be beneficial. He finds it appalling the Patriots couldn't stop Bills running backs and tight ends, who combined for 13 catches despite being the known offensive focus. Bedard questions if worsening weather impacted Maye's second-half performance while Josh Allen improved. He reveals Maye is now 1-3 in games this season when trailing by seven or fewer points in the fourth quarter. The analyst notes the offense became one-dimensional, with only three designed rushes in the second half versus 12 pass attempts. Bedard believes Josh Allen may now nudge ahead of Maye in the MVP conversation after this performance. The tone is analytical and conversational, blending immediate reaction with film-study nuance. This episode is essential for Patriots fans seeking a detailed, sober breakdown of a brutal loss and its implications. Casual listeners or those seeking pure optimism might find the critical analysis too discouraging.

As heard by us

A blunt, grounded postgame read on the Patriots' 35-31 loss to the Bills.

Greg Bedard's postgame read keeps its attention on the Patriots' 35-31 loss to the Bills and, more specifically, on the moments when New England had to get off the field and did not. The missed stops matter most, along with the easy touchdown to one of Buffalo's tight ends.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a calm read on a messy 35-31 Patriots loss.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →
Listen to the show on