Patriots suffer first home shutout since 1993

With Tom Brady suspended and Jimmy Garoppolo dealing with a shoulder injury, the New England Patriots were forced to start Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. After his Week 3 win over the Houston Texans, it didn’t seem like a huge hit to the offense.

Needless to say, it was.

The Patriots were shut out by the Buffalo Bills, 16-0 at home. It was the first time New England failed to score a single point since 2006. In that game, Tom Brady went 12-for-25 for 78 yards as he was beat by Joey Harrington and the Dolphins, 21-0.

Even more surprising, it’s the first time the Patriots have been shut out at home since 1993. That game was against the New York Jets as they lost 6-0. Bill Parcells was the coach at the time, while Drew Bledsoe was the quarterback. He threw for 134 yards on 18 attempts with one interception, getting outdueled by Boomer Esiason.

Coincidentally, the Patriots are the first team to be shut out one week after shutting out their opponent since 2006. The team to do it that year? The Dolphins, who beat the Patriots 21-0, followed by a 21-0 loss to the Bills.

Fortunately, the Patriots get Brady back next week against the 0-4 Browns. I think we can pencil them down for a win in that one.