New England Patriots quarterback Jarrett Stidham (4) hands off to running back J.J. Taylor in the second half of Monday night's 38-9 Buffalo win at Gillette Stadium. (AP photo)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – Who’s up at quarterback next week in the season finale for the New England Patriots?

These are the last few days to ask Bill Belichick the question.

Could it be Jarrett Stidham? Or Cam Newton?

“I haven’t made any plans for next week,” Belichick said after Monday night’s 38-9 drubbing at the hands of the Buffalo Bills.

Stidham did get into Monday’s game midway through the third quarter, but really was ineffective.

Belichick said he was inserted for a simple reason.

“To give Jarrett a chance to play,” he said. “We weren’t playing very well.

Cam did a good job for us, that wasn’t the problem. We hadn’t been very competitive in the game.”

Belichick also said “We didn’t have much direction. Just the combination of things. Protection, dropped balls, lack of good execution.

“We just didn’t execute the passing game well, and they played well defensively with their pressure. They covered well. They did a better job than we did.”

Stidham wasn’t all that great in what really was an extended mop-up role, completing 4 of 11 attempts for 44 yards. Newton, who did score a rushing TD to tie the single season franchise record (12), was 5 of 10 for 34 yards.

“I think for me at the end of the day, whatever opportunity I’m given, I want to try to make the most of it, and that’s exactly what I’m trying to do,” Stidham said.

But what’s wrong with the New England offense, specifically the passing game?

“I don’t think it’s necessarily one thing,” Stidham said. “There’s 11 guys on offense, and everybody’s got to do their job on each and every play in order to move the ball.”

He was asked whether working more with the first team would help him.

“Look, for me, whatever opportunity I’m given in practice, I try to make the most of it,” he said. “I try to do my best every single rep I get. I’m out there to throw the ball to the right guy and move the chain.

“Obviously that’s one of the biggest things for development, to get experience. Game experience, there’s nothing like it. I’m going to continue to grind and work my butt off every single week.”

So now the question is what happens in the season’s final game against the Jets this Sunday.

“I just want to win. That’s not for me to answer,” Newton said. “It’s disappointing, but I’m just doing what I’m asked to do, being the best player for this team I can possibly be.

“I’d be the first to say I need to get better, and it starts with practice.”

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Will we see Patriots wide receiver and fan favorite Julian Edelman again this season? Apparently not.

Edelman was not activated off injured reserve again for Monday night’s game, and the NFL Network reported that it’s unlikely it will happen for this Sunday’s season finale vs. the New York Jets.

If that’s the case, as the report suggested, one has to wonder about Edelman’s future. He’s been out since mid-season to undergo a procedure on his ailing knee, and at age 34 his future would have to be assessed.

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Patriots running back Damien Harris missed his second straight game with a bad ankle, as he headed the inactives along with defensive lineman Lawrence Guy.

Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley was also out, plus linebacker Shilique Calhoun. Newly signed offensive lineman Marcus Martin and quarterback Brian Hoyer were the other inactives.

For the Bills, quarterbacks Davis Webb and Jake Fromm were inactive, along with tight end Reggie Gilliam and defensive end Trent Murphy.

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Buffalo had COVID-19 issues, placing wide receiver John Brown and running back T.J. Yeldon to be placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.

The Patriots did elevate/activate linebacker Cassh Maluia, who before Monday night had appeared in seven games thus far this season with no statistics. They also activated defensive lineman Nick Thurman, with Guy out.

NOTES

Monday night was Health Care Hero Appreciation Night, and the Patriots had photo cutouts of health care workers in seats in the end zone at the closed end of the stadium….

The Patriots lost safety Devin McCourty (shoulder), offensive lineman Shaq Mason (foot) and center David Andrews (calf), all declared out with just over nine minutes left in the fourth quarter…

Patriot running back James White (three catches for 23 yards) actually moved past Irving Fryar into eighth place on the team’s all-time receiving list…

Nick Folk’s 45 yard field goal that gave the Patriots a brief 3-0 lead extended his consecutive made streak to 26. However, he missed an extra point later that would have tied the game at 10…

It all ends this Sunday with the New York Jets coming to Gillette for a 1 p.m. kickoff.

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