“The pressure in the middle is what bothers him.”

Josh Allen gets involved with the Patriots defense. Matthew J. Lee/Globe Staff

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Well, it took until week 7, but the Patriots finally got their first home win of the season after upsetting rival Buffalo at Gillette Stadium on Sunday.

Bill Belichick gets his 300th win and the team avoids falling to 1-6. Instead, they are 2-5, including 2-1 against AFC East opponents, with another big chance next weekend against Miami.

Mac Jones led the Patriots to their first comeback win of the season, getting through the game without any turnovers. This was the sharpest he has looked all season. He completed all but five of his 30 passing attempts and threw a pair of touchdowns, including Mike Gesicki’s game-winner.

The Patriots earned their first win since September 24 on the road against the Jets. Here are some final thoughts on the promotion.

Finding a way to ‘harass’ Josh Allen

New England was missing Matthew Judon and Josh Uche, but the Patriots’ pass rush still proved to be a problem for Josh Allen.

According to defensive lineman Davon Godchaux, the key was generating pressure up the middle, which he, Christian Barmore and Ja’Whaun Bentley excelled at on Sunday.

“You have to look Allen in the eye, he’s one of the three best quarterbacks in the NFL. The pressure in the middle is what bothers him,” said Godchaux. “The guys on the edge can rush all they want, but when you have those B holes open where he can get to the front, you’ve got to move this guy off the spot, you’ve got to rush this guy out of the middle. We did a great job today and we are not satisfied.”

Godchaux said the Patriots needed to focus on rushing as a team with Uche and Judon out.

“We rush as a team,” Godchaux said. “Even if we have Judon and Uche, we know those guys can win one-on-one all the time, but if you don’t have those guys now, you have to hustle as a team. Even though we’re still in a hurry as a team when we have those guys, it has to be more detailed, it has to be even more dialed in when we don’t have those guys for one-on-ones.”

Cornerback Jack Jones said the pressure up the middle helped the defensive backs make plays.

“We all work together, it’s like a well-oiled machine,” Jones said. “If one place doesn’t work, it’s all a mess. So when the D-line goes, the DBs go and vice versa. Everyone is needed to make a difference.”

Onwenu goes to right tackle

The Patriots opted to move Mike Onwenu from his guard spot to right tackle, and the decision paid off.

“It was cool, I guess, after practice and all week I felt comfortable enough to go out there,” Onwenu said. “And they made the decision to put me there. That’s a good feeling.”

New England’s offensive line held up well, holding Buffalo to one sack and giving Jones plenty of time to commit to his throws.

The offensive line has been disrupted all year, with Onwenu, Cole Strange and Brown losing time at various points.

This week, the Patriots started with Brown and Onwenu at tackles, Strange and rookie Sidy Sow at guards, and David Andrews at center. Those five seemed to mesh together, not only in pass protection, but also in the run game, allowing the Patriots to gain 96 yards on the ground.

How Jack Jones responded to the heckling of the passer call

Jack Jones tweeted about a roughing the passer call that he was whistled for after hitting Allen on a corner kick.

“Bad call, but F it,” Jones tweeted after the game.

Jones had a similar opinion in the locker room when asked about it after the game.

“I didn’t really like the call,” Jones says. ‘But it’s beyond my control. Next turn.”

Jabrill Peppers continues to make plays

Last week, Jabrill Peppers forced a turnover by laying a crushing hit on Davante Adams, allowing Jahlani Tavai to tip the ball to himself and grab an interception.

This week it was Peppers who caught the quarterback in a slip. Allen lost sight of Peppers in coverage and threw the ball right to him for an interception in the first quarter.

The turnover led to a Patriots touchdown drive and an early 10-0 lead.

“I don’t think he ever saw me,” Peppers said. “He put it on a rope and I just had to catch it. It got a little sunburned so I almost dropped it, but you can’t buy these hands. I had to work on that.”

Chad Ryland on his preparation

Jones led the game-winning drive with a touchdown, but the game could have easily come down to a tying field goal attempt if things had gone a little differently.

Rookie kicker Chad Ryland, who went 3-for-3 on field goal attempts, including a 49-yarder, said he stayed mentally ready in case he had to come in and make a fourth kick, but was happy to see the offense sealed the victory. agreement.

“I love winning more than anything,” Ryland said. “So that was probably the best feeling of the day, getting a win.”

Rhamundre’s flight

The offense got a lift from Rhamondre Stevenson on the final drive when the running back broke free on a 34-yard swing pass from Jones.

Most of the yardage came after the catch, as the running back sped down the sideline. It was a good game that covered a lot of ground, Belichick said.

“Yes, the O-line, they played great today. They let me and Zeke (Ezekiel Elliott) get on defense a little bit,” Stevenson said. “That’s always good. They did great on their doubles teams, stuff like that. On that last play, the running backs had to get some space, so it was a swing pass for me. I had three guys blocking at the rim. They did a great job hiding those guys and I tried to make a play.