Josh Allen and the Bills are back in AFC East play on Sunday, and this one comes with a chance to keep the unbeaten start rolling. Buffalo hosts the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on Sunday, October 4 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS, with the game also streaming free with DIRECTV.
The Bills are 3-0, but the record doesn’t tell the whole story. Buffalo survived a 24-16 win over the Chargers last week despite five turnovers, including three from Allen. Even so, the Bills found a way to finish the job, and that has been a familiar trait during the Allen era.
That’s part of what makes this matchup so interesting. Buffalo gets a shot to move to 4-0 and create more separation from the team that knocked it off the division throne last season. Allen’s focus this week is on the messiness from last Sunday, not the standings.
The Bills’ defense may be the sharper edge entering this game. Buffalo gave up 31 points in each of its first two games, then settled in against Los Angeles with better red-zone defense and timely stops.
Greg Rousseau has been the headliner, piling up a league-leading six sacks and three forced fumbles through three weeks. Bradley Chubb, Ed Oliver and Deone Walker have also helped turn the front into a real problem for opposing offenses.
That could be a rough setup for New England, which has already surrendered nine sacks and is dealing with injuries along the offensive line. The Patriots are trying to find some stability around quarterback Drake Maye, but the early numbers have been ugly. Maye has one touchdown pass, six interceptions and a lost fumble, and New England has managed only 29 points through three games.
The contrast is stark. Buffalo leads the NFL at 33.7 points per game.
New England is scraping for consistency on offense. If the Bills clean up the turnover issues that nearly burned them a week ago, they’ll have a strong path to staying undefeated and tightening their grip on the AFC East.
For viewers looking for a legal streaming option, DIRECTV offers a five-day free trial and includes CBS, FOX, ESPN and NBC at the basic DIRECTV Entertainment level. After the trial, the service bills $59.99 for the first month and $89.99 for each additional month unless canceled on Day 5.
Other free trials are available with fuboTV and Hulu + Live TV, while CBS games can also be streamed on Paramount+, though no free trial is offered there. Streameast was shut down in 2025, and the source notes that illegal sites like it are unreliable and can bring pop-ups, malware and poor video quality.
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 🡒]