Coming off the worst loss of the Mike Vrabel era, the New England Patriots were in dire need of making a statement. They did so on Sunday against the Buffalo Bills.
Despite being listed as almost a touchdown underdog and missing multiple starters, including recently ruled-out Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore, Vrabel’s team managed a 29-26 upset win on the road against a previously-unbeaten opponent. Along the way, they showed some encouraging strides in all three phases and managed to dig themselves out a late hole in a hostile environment.
Whether or not the game will have the same season-transforming effect that last year’s win in Buffalo had will be seen. For now, however, the Patriots can safely say that they have made a massive step forward — and shown the rest of the league that they are far from done.
Final score: Patriots 29 : 26 Bills
Sunday, Oct. 4, 1 p.m. ET | Highmark Stadium (Orchard Park, NY) | Broadcast information | Inactives | Game day roster | Weather forecast
Joined by game day captain and ex-Bill Reggie Gilliam, the Patriots called called tails only to see the ceremonial coin come up tails. With Buffalo opting to start on offense, a short-handed New England defense missing the likes of Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore was up first. On the first series of the game, it did not matter: the home team went three-and-out with Kevin Byard breaking up a pass on third down.
Marcus Jones fumbled the ball on the ensuing punt return, but since a Bill had touched the ball before he did to pat it back into the field of play, the Patriots did retain possession.
Unlike its Buffalo counterpart, the Patriots offense did manage to move the chains on its initial possession of the game. A Drake Maye scramble and passes to tight ends Eli Raridon and Hunter Henry gave the unit some breathing room after starting at its 3-yard line. New England did face a 4th-and-3 in Buffalo territory, but Maye connected with Romeo Doubs to move the chains. One play later, the pair connected again on a 14-yard touchdown pass — capping a 12-play, 97-yard drive in style. | Patriots 7 : 0 Bills
The Patriots defense started its second series with a 4-yard Elijah Ponder sack of Josh Allen, but Buffalo managed to keep the series alive despite subsequently facing third or fourth down three different times — knocking on the door as the first quarter came to a close.
After converting a 3rd-and-6 to start the second quarter, the Bills found the end zone on an 8-yard James Cook run to even the score. | Patriots 7 : 7 Bills
The Patriots offense got a gift to start its second drive, with Bills kicker Tyler Bass sending the kickoff after his team’s touchdown short of the landing zone. However, the unit failed to capitalize even though it found himself on the Buffalo side of the field again after a TreVeyon Henderson reverse for 10 yards. Unfortunately for New England, though, the series – as has been the case too often this year – ended with a turnover: a Drake Maye strip sack was recovered by the Bills.
Just like the Patriots before, the Bills were unable to take advantage of the gift they received. They quickly went three-and-out to punt the ball back to New England’s Marcus Jones, who gained 17 yards on the runback to give his team possession on the 37.
Things seemingly continued to go downhill for the Patriots on the next drive, but what was initially ruled a Drake Maye fumble returned by the defense for a touchdown was overturned and called incomplete after a brief review. Instead of disaster striking, the team answered by gaining 26 yards on a pass to Mack Hollins and another 10 on a Rhamondre Stevenson run. Maye then added another 26 on a scramble to bring his team to the 1-yard line. Stevenson capped the series out of a jumbo look one play later to put his team up again. | Patriots 14 : 7 Bills
The Patriots defense spoke all week about defending the “second play” against Josh Allen, but it failed to do so on Buffalo’s next drive after the Stevenson touchdown. The former league MVP bought some extra time on a 50-yard pass to Khalil Shakir, who managed to break a tackle before gaining the final 29 yards to set up his team on the New England 6 just outside the two-minute warning. Unfortunately, an apparent stop on third down was overturned by a holding penalty against Marcus Jones, which in turn was followed by head coach Mike Vrabel getting flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct. This gave the Bills second life, and they cashed in three plays later to tie the game again. | Patriots 14 : 14 Bills
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With a minute remaining in the first half, the Patriots offense had an opportunity to carry some momentum into the half. However, the unit opened with two incompletions followed by pressure off the left side forcing an errant throw on third down. The subsequent Mitch Wishnowsky punt left the Bills with 29 seconds left on the clock.
The Bills did not take long to move back into Patriots territory on their next drive, gaining 22 yards on a first-down pass from Josh Allen to Keon Coleman. However, Carlton Davis knocked the ball out of Khalil Shakir’s hands on the very next play — with teammate Elijah Ponder recovering it turned into a potentially points-saving play on the edge of field goal range.
What followed, however, was a bad break for the Patriots. Romeo Doubs failed to haul in a Drake Maye pass on the first play after the interception, and the ball popped in the air only for the Bills’ Dee Alford to intercept it and run it back to the New England 9-yard line with 5 seconds on the clock. Tyler Bass hit a field goal just before time expired, giving Buffalo its first lead of the day. | Patriots 14 : 17 Bills
The Patriots were mostly driving the ball well in the first half, and they stared the second in the same fashion. A toe-drag by Romeo Doubs on the sideline and a Drake Maye scramble brought the offense back into Bills territory. Once there, Maye hit Hollins for a gain of 19 and later connected with Doubs again to convert a 4th-and-2. However, despite finding themselves at the Bills 2-yard line, New England had its fair share of trouble actually pushing the ball in — until Maye hit Doubs on a 2-yard goal line fade for six. | Patriots 21 : 17 Bills
New England’s defense delivered a stop on its first series of the second half. After nothing but short gains, Carlton Davis came flying down on a screen attempt on 3rd-and-8 to bring Keon Coleman down for a modest gain of 1 yard, prompting the Bills to punt.
The Patriots fared better on their next possession, preventing a three-and-out on a toe-drag sideline catch by DeMario Douglas. However, the series did not advance much further after that and eventually Mitch Wishnowsky had to come out for his second punt of the day.
The Patriots defense continued to put the clamps on Josh Allen and the Bills offense on the next play, nearly taking the quarterback down for a safety when Gabe Jacas powered through left tacke Dion Dawkins. Allen prevented that particular outcome, but couldn’t stop his team from going three-and-out a second straight drive.
Trying to go ground-and-pound, the Patriots called on Rhamondre Stevenson three straight times to open their next possession. But while he gained 8 yards on his first carry, the offensive line failed to create a significant push on the next two plays. The result: a net gain of 0, and another punt.
Buffalo’s run game showed some signs of life in the early fourth quarter, with James Cook gaining a combined 35 yards on the first three plays of the series. The Bills did run out of steam eventually, but not before a Keon Coleman 21-yard grab over cornerback Kindle Vildor — entering the game for an injured Charles Woods — put them in field goal range. A Marcus Jones open-space tackle on third down prevented further damage, but the home team still cut into New England’s lead. | Patriots 21 : 20 Bills
A big tackle for loss, a hold on an apparent third-down conversion — untimely errors prevented the Patriots from getting more out of their next possession even after being in a 2nd-and-2 situation at their own 44-yard line. To make matters worse, Mitch Wishnowsky’s ensuing punt resulted in a net swing of only 38 yards.
The Patriots came close to a critical stop on the next drive, but instead allowed Josh Allen and Keon Coleman to hit two big plays in a row. The first was a 34-yard gain on a 3rd-and-4, immediately followed by a 34-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion did fall incomplete, giving New England a chance at victory with a touchdown inside five minutes to go. | Patriots 21 : 26 Bills
The Patriots were in need of a touchdown, and they delivered on their next drive. Drake Maye throws to Hunter Henry and Romeo Doubs brought the offense into Buffalo territory, with a strong Efton Chism catch for 19 yards getting it even further to the promised land. At the two-minute warning, New England was 28 yards from the go-ahead score. It took Maye and company just one play to bridge that distance: a highlight-reel one-handed grab by Efton Chism for the go-ahead touchdown. With Drake Maye and Rhamondre Stevenson connecting on the two-point conversion, the Patriots found themselves up three with 1:50 left on the clock. | Patriots 29 : 26 Bills
The Patriots defense has had its issues against Josh Allen and company, but not on the next drive after the Chism touchdown: Craig Woodson, making his return from a shoulder injury, intercepted a deep pass with 1:05 left in the game.
The Patriots went aggressive on their next drive, not relying on their ground game to bleed clock. While a pass attempt to Efton Chism did sail wide on second down, Maye found Hunter Henry on the subsequent 3rd-and-10 for a gain of 12. Two plays later, it was time for the victory formation.
With the win, New England improved to 2-2 on the season. Buffalo now stands at 3-1, with the head-to-head tiebreaker going to the Patriots at the moment.
Who gets your game ball from Patriots-Bills?
The Patriots are 2-2 thanks to a 29-26 win over the Bills, and some impressive individual efforts. Which one stands out the most to you, however?
Closes in 3 days • 137 total votesView results
QB Drake MayeWR Romeo DoubsWR Efton Chism IIICB Carlton Davis IIIS Craig WoodsonOtherRec 3CommentsThin Stroke Comment Icon BubbleReplyRead 21 replies