The New England Patriots came out swinging on Sunday, jumping out to a commanding 21-0 lead over the Buffalo Bills. For a moment, it looked like they were about to flip the AFC East script. But then came the collapse - a 35-31 loss that not only stunned the home crowd but also slammed the door on a golden opportunity to stay in the division hunt.
Before things unraveled, there was no shortage of emotion on the Patriots’ sideline - especially from Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. Both wide receivers had previous stints with the Bills, and with New England surging early, they weren’t shy about letting their former teammates hear it. According to reports from the sideline, Diggs and Hollins were seen jawing at the Bills and hyping up the crowd, to the point where a coach had to step in and pull them back.
That kind of fire is what you expect in a game with personal stakes. For Diggs, this was another chapter in a complicated history with Buffalo.
His time there spanned four seasons, from 2020 through 2023, and included plenty of highs - Pro Bowl nods, deep playoff runs, and a starring role in one of the league’s most explosive offenses. Hollins’ tenure was shorter - just the 2024 season - but clearly, it left enough of an impression to fuel some extra motivation.
Bills players acknowledged after the game that they heard the chirping. But head coach Sean McDermott wasn’t interested in making it about individual storylines.
“No, I didn’t [hear it],” McDermott said when asked postgame. “This game isn’t about any one player - or two players in this case.
Those guys are great players. Really, it’s about a team game.
That’s what it’s about. Our team finished the game today the way we needed to finish and got a win.
So we move on.”
That’s a classic coach response, but it also underscores the bigger picture. The Bills didn’t just weather the storm - they roared back with 35 unanswered points, led by Josh Allen and a team that’s been through the fire before. While Diggs and Hollins were looking to make a statement against their former squad, it was Buffalo who ultimately delivered the last word - on the scoreboard and in the standings.
For the Patriots, this one stings. A 21-point lead, squandered.
Momentum, lost. And for two players who came into the game with something to prove, the ending couldn’t have been more bitter.