The New England Patriots’ 35-31 defeat to the Buffalo Bills hit their fans hard. However, surely the most disappointed was renowned sportscaster Dave Portnoy, who had to eat his words after declaring the Patriots the “kings” of the AFC East.
Despite playing at home, Drake Maye’s Patriots were the underdogs in this Week 15 game. However, to the surprise of bettors, they forged a 21-0 lead midway through the second quarter.
But that was it. The Bills’ comeback began toward the end of the second quarter, and in the second half, they dominated their opponent, scoring 21 unanswered points.
The final victory not only snapped New England’s 10-game winning streak but also renewed Buffalo’s hopes of winning the division title. Amidst all this, Portnoy was fuming.
The triumphant speech Portnoy had to retract
Right after TreVeyon Henderson made it 21-0 with a 52-yard touchdown run early in the second quarter, Portnoy couldn’t resist the temptation to deliver one of his signature pep talks.
In a video on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the Barstool Sports owner exclaimed, “We are destroying this team! We were underdogs going into this game!”
Going further, Portnoy declared, “I don’t want to get too cocky. I don’t want to get too loud, but nobody knows championship football more than this guy, more than these fans.”
Dazzled by the overwhelming lead, Portnoy declared:
“I’ve seen it! I have six rings, and you’re telling me Buffalo’s better than us? This is our division, this is our league, and we’re back! We’re not beating this team, we’re demolishing this team.”
The Patriots let Portnoy down in the worst possible way
However, reality quickly hit Portnoy like a linebacker at full speed. When the Patriots lost the game, the businessman and gambler had to retract his statements.
“If I could take back that first celebratory victory when it was 21-0 and I was ranting, raving about how the division is ours and the Bills are done, I would take it back,” he asserted.
He admitted that he got carried away by the emotion of the moment and criticized the team’s change in attitude at the end of the first half. “You know Buffalo is going to get going, but I mean, they kick our f*cking *ss in the second half.”
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