The Buffalo Bills’ unbeaten start is gone, and it disappeared in the kind of fourth-quarter mess that leaves a mark. Buffalo had a chance to grab the lead late and move to 4-0, but Josh Allen’s interception on the final drive slammed the door on a 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots.
That drops the Bills to 3-1, with New England now sitting just a game back at 2-2.
There were bright spots buried inside the loss, though they’ll be hard to celebrate for long after the finish Buffalo produced.
Keon Coleman turned in the kind of outing that jumps off the page. With DJ Moore aggravating his shoulder injury, Coleman delivered six catches for 116 yards and a touchdown. It may have been his best game as a Bill.
James Cook also gave Buffalo plenty to work with, rushing for 75 yards on 12 carries. Even so, the Bills kept leaving their most productive back on the shelf for stretches despite him averaging 6.3 yards per carry.
Allen, meanwhile, added another line to his franchise resume. His rushing touchdown in the second quarter gave him 88 career touchdowns, moving him past Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed for another Bills record.
But the ending will swallow up everything else. Allen was held to just four rushing yards, and the play everyone will remember was the interception that killed Buffalo’s last chance. The Bills needed only a field goal to tie, but Allen forced a throw he didn’t need to make and handed the game away.
Joshua Palmer also left too many points on the field. When the ball hits you in the chest, that catch has to be made.
Then there was the defense, which couldn’t come through when it mattered most. With Buffalo up and less than five minutes left, all the unit needed was one stop. Instead, New England - a team averaging 12 points per game and with only two offensive touchdowns coming in - marched 73 yards in 2:37 and took the lead for good at 29-26.
Maxwell Hairston had a sequence that will stick with Buffalo fans for all the wrong reasons. He drew defensive holding to wipe out a Bills sack on third-and-goal, then two plays later let Romeo Doubs get free for a touchdown.
The injury list only added to the frustration. DJ Moore, Ed Oliver, Dee Alford, Te’Cory Couch, and Landon Jackson all left the game at one point. Jackson was eventually cleared to return.
In Other News...
Bills Let Another AFC East Game Slip Away For One Reason
The Bills had enough offense to stay in the fight with New England, but it still came down to a familiar kind of AFC East frustration. James Cook and Josh Allen both helped Buffalo move the ball and put points on the board, yet the back-and-forth game never quite tilted the Bills way as the Patriots kept finding answers.
Drake Mayes night mixed big throws with turnovers, but New England still came up with the plays that mattered most, including touchdowns from Romeo Doubs and Efton Chism III. Chisms late scoring catch helped seal the Patriots 29-26 win, leaving Buffalo with another divisional loss and another reminder that close games in this rivalry keep slipping out of reach. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Loss To Patriots Turns On One Infuriating Sequence
A jarring sideline exchange helped flip the flow of a tight game in New England, and the Bills were the ones who benefited in the moment. Mike Vrabel was hit with a 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after using profanity toward an official, and the flag extended a Buffalo drive that ended with a game-tying touchdown before halftime.
From there, though, the Patriots regrouped and finished with a 29-26 win, powered by Drake Mayes three-touchdown afternoon and a game ball from Vrabel. The penalty became one of the afternoons most talked-about sequences, and both Vrabel and official Bill Vinovich addressed it after the game, leaving Buffalo with plenty to wonder about on a day when a small flashpoint carried outsized weight. [Read more 🡒]
Bills Secondary Concerns Just Got Harder To Ignore After Patriots Loss
The Bills secondary left little room for comfort in the loss to New England, and Maxwell Hairston had a difficult afternoon trying to keep pace with Romeo Doubs. Hairston was beaten for two touchdown catches, a reminder of how quickly coverage issues can swing a game when Buffalo is already dealing with injuries and a thin defensive backfield.
Josh Allens late interception only added to the frustration, even with Keon Coleman giving the offense a bright spot by finishing with 116 receiving yards and a touchdown. The bigger concern for Buffalo is that the defensive questions did not just linger after the defeat, they showed up in moments that mattered most, and now they sit there for everyone to see. [Read more 🡒]