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A year ago, the New England Patriots ground out a Week 16 home victory over the Buffalo Bills with a methodical, run-first offense, making a 41-year-old Tom Brady a complementary piece.

We noted that the Patriots looked to be hiding Brady, who posted his worst single-game passer rating in more than 12 years. He looked healthier in the postseason and sprinkled in heroics, but the run-first formula eventually won New England another Super Bowl.

Saturday’s victory over the Bills was deja vu, but the Patriots’ challenge is tougher this year.

Now 42, Brady entered Saturday riding a career-worst nine-game drought with a sub-100 rating. Personnel is worse across the board. The offensive line has struggled to protect or run-block anywhere near last year’s unit. The run game also desperately misses fullback James Develin (injured) and tight end Rob Gronkowski (retired), who obviously is missed as a receiver, too.

With a lower floor and ceiling, New England’s offense needs every bit of Josh McDaniels’ shrewd planning. The coordinator delivered Saturday, with the game-winning drive illustrating how the Patriots’ offense must play.

Play 1: Julian Edelman’s 30-yard catch

McDaniels and Brady have killed teams — including the Bills — forever with this concept, a crossing route off hard play-action. It worked because it was dressed up perfectly.

Edelman motioned to the weak side — a motion used throughout the game — and ran a simple over route against the Bills’ Cover-3 zone. Brady faked to Sony Michel as left guard Joe Thuney pulled. Further helping sell run, wideout Mohamed Sanu turned inward as if to crack-block nickelback Taron Johnson.

By the time Brady hit his back foot, underneath defenders Johnson, Tremaine Edmunds and Matt Milano were all within a yard of the line. Sanu pivoted outward (widening the throwing lane a tad more), Brady hit a throw he’s made thousands of times, and Edelman broke a tackle for a huge chunk.

Playing LB vs. the #Patriots is like torture. Josh McDaniels just toyed with Edmunds and Milano on the final drive.

Play 1: Staple Edelman crosser off play-action. Pulling LG draws LBs’ eyes and sells run. Sanu fakes crack block (turns into whip to widen throwing lane)

(1/4) pic.twitter.com/XQIYzgS7HA

— David DeChant (@DavidDeChant) December 23, 2019

The Patriots run this multiple times almost every game, simply presenting it differently. The previous drive, they used different personnel, hitting Jakobi Meyers while fullback Elandon Roberts sold the fake with downhill run action (instead of Thuney pulling).

Play 2: Michel’s 8-yard run

This time, the Patriots actually did run behind Thuney, who pulled to lead between tight ends Matt LaCosse and Ben Watson (D gap) in a power scheme. Burned a play earlier, Edmunds and Milano were a step slower downhill, allowing LaCosse to block Milano and Thuney to seal Edmunds.

After faking Power O, now McDaniels actually runs Power O, with LG Thuney again pulling.

Rightfully leery of play-action, Edmunds and Milano are more cautious, coming downhill slower and allowing blocks to reach them. Michel gets 8 yards#Patriots pic.twitter.com/2wzpVS5OcA

— David DeChant (@DavidDeChant) December 23, 2019

Play 3: Michel’s 7-yard run

The Patriots repeated a motion from previous play-action designs, then again ran with Thuney pulling. But there was another twist: This was a trap run.

Rather than leading, Thuney “trapped” unblocked defensive end Trent Murphy upfield. The linebackers, as they’re taught, keyed Thuney’s pull and flowed with, and Roberts also attacked the edge to hasten that flow.

But the trap run was designed to hit up the middle. Edmunds and Milano flowed too far, getting Michel clean through to safety Jordan Poyer.

Now McDaniels pulls LG Thuney a 3rd straight play, but it’s a Trap run, not Power O. Thuney traps DE Murphy, Edmunds-Milano follow Thuney’s pull (and FB Roberts’ path) too far.

Run designed to hit up middle, with only S Poyer to slow it down. Michel drags him for 7#Patriots pic.twitter.com/MxHKSlB3YI

— David DeChant (@DavidDeChant) December 23, 2019

Play 4: Michel’s 6-yard run

McDaniels kept toying with the linebackers, combining looks from the previous two plays but flipped. Edelman motioned, this time to the strong side, and right guard Shaq Mason pulled toward LaCosse and Watson.

But rather than leading through the D gap (like Thuney in Play 2), Mason pulled outside on a power sweep, with Edelman helping seal. Edmunds and Milano — a play after flowing too far with a pulling guard — were a step slow getting outside.

Now McDaniels runs same look as 2 plays ago, except G (RG Mason this time) leads to the edge, not D gap.

Edmunds and Milano JUST overran the last play. Now hesitant to flow too fast, both take a false step, making blocking angles easier.

McDaniels the puppetmaster#Patriots pic.twitter.com/EeTg9stUWz

— David DeChant (@DavidDeChant) December 23, 2019

Play 5: Rex Burkhead’s 3-yard run

After using the same motion as two plays ago, the Patriots ran a basic lead draw, with Burkhead following Roberts.

Play 6: Brady’s 3-yard run

The Bills surprisingly left the A-gaps unoccupied, and Brady easily sneaked to convert third-and-1.

The GOAT of QB sneaks. @TomBrady | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/h0jBOM4gsa

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 22, 2019

Play 7: Burkhead’s 1-yard TD run

After a Buffalo timeout negated a TD run off tempo, Brady drew the Bills offsides to put the ball on the 1.

Then New England ran its favorite goal-line play from last year, the lead off-tackle run that secured game winners in the AFC Championship (Burkhead) and Super Bowl (Michel).

Befitting their weakened personnel, the Patriots blocked it poorly, with defensive tackle Star Lotulelei getting Burkhead’s legs and linebacker Lorenzo Alexander shooting cleanly. But Burkhead shook off both in the backfield and trotted in for the winning score.

.@RBRex34 would not be denied. #BUFvsNE | #GoPats pic.twitter.com/1DYbA2yBzW

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 22, 2019

Play 8: Edelman’s 2-point conversion

McDaniels called a condensed version of the play that started the drive, a crosser to Edelman off downhill play-action.

LaCosse motioned, but Edelman — unlike similar previous looks — did not, and Roberts’ lead action was used instead of a pulling guard. The result was the same: The linebackers were sucked up, and Edelman came open, with Brady hitting him after a short step-up.

Julian Edelman 2 Point Conversionpic.twitter.com/akvagwePme

— PatriotsNation™ (@PatsNationTM) December 22, 2019

None of these eight plays was complex, but all complemented each other. McDaniels repeatedly gave the defense false keys, many working off the previous play, even when calling back-to-back runs. (Burkhead’s 31- and 23-yard receptions in the third quarter were also perfect examples of this.)

That’s nothing new for McDaniels, but it’s more important now than ever. Brady and the passing game likely can’t carry a heavy load, meaning everything must work off the run. But with the run game lacking last year’s pop, McDaniels must make up the difference through nuance and variety.

He did so beautifully against the Bills’ stingy defense. The question is whether that will be enough against a better pass rush, or if New England faces a significant deficit in the playoffs.

–By David DeChant (@DavidDeChant), Field Level Media