GAME RECAP: Bills 24 vs 21 Patriots

Location: Highmark Stadium

Tickets Distributed: 70,725

Final score: Bills 24, Patriots 21

Records: Bills (12-3), Patriots (3-12)

Next opponent: Bills vs Jets on Sunday, December 29 at 1 pm ET

The Buffalo Bills increased their home winning streak to 10 after defeating the New England Patriots 24-21 on Sunday afternoon.

With the win, QB Josh Allen improved to 22-3 in December/January regular season games since 2020. In the win, Allen completed 16 passes for 154 yards and 1 touchdown and added 28 yards on the ground. RB James Cook led both the running game and receiving game with 100 rushing yards and 26 receiving yards in addition to both a rushing and receiving touchdown.

On defense, CB Taron Johnson continued making plays recovering a fumble for a touchdown along with making three tackles. DB Cam Lewis caught an interception, while DE Dawaune Smoot and Greg Rousseau forced fumbles and LB Dorian Williams recovered one of his own. LB Terrel Bernard led the defense with 12 total tackles.

Additional notes from today’s win:

Bills are 12-3 for the third time since 2020
Bills are 7-0 at home for the first time since 1991
Bills have won 10 straight regular season home games – longest active NFL streak
Bills sit in the No. 2 spot in the AFC playoff standings
Bills have won three consecutive home games against New England for the first time since a six-game streak from 1988-1993
Josh Allen is 22-3 in December/January regular season games since 2020
Bills are 34-7 at home since 2020 – NFL’s best record in that span
Sean McDermott has won his 85^th regular season game – the second-most all-time in a head coach’s first eight seasons (George Seifert – 98)
Josh Allen has tied Russell Wilson (75) for the most wins by a quarterback in his first seven seasons in NFL history

🏈1. Patriots On the Board First

The Patriots offense received the opening kickoff and only needed 2:59 of the clock to score the first points of the game. A pass interference penalty helped to give the Patriots a first down after QB Drake Maye threw an incompletion. Two plays later, Maye threw a pass down the right sideline that fit perfectly into the hands of WR Kayshon Boutte to score the touchdown to bring the score to 7-0 in favor of the Patriots.

⏰2. Patriots Run the Clock

The Bills offense only had the ball once in the first quarter, as the Patriots executed a 16-play drive that used 9:57 of the clock after the Bills punted in the first quarter.

The drive extended from the first into the start of the second quarter, ending with a RB Rhamondre Stevenson rushing touchdown from second-and-goal from the 14-yard line.

👨‍🍳3. Yes, Chef

The Bills offense wasted no time getting going in the second quarter as RB James Cook found his way into the end zone on a 46-yard touchdown run. Cook busted through the middle and broke a tackle from a Patriots defender on the run to bring the score to 14-7.

👨‍🍳4. Cook Takes Over

Both teams traded punts and remained scoreless throughout the rest of the second quarter.

Upon receiving the third quarter kickoff, the Bills offense started moving the ball as they executed a touchdown drive that tied the game.

The drive began with a 25-yard rush by Cook which was followed up by another run and a 17-yard catch by WR Keon Coleman. The drive ended six plays later when Allen looked to his left and connected with Cook to bring the score to 14-14.

😤5. Defense Making Plays

The Bills defense kept the Patriots from scoring in the third quarter, forcing two takeaways from the Patriots offense.

After the Cook touchdown, the Patriots turned the ball over on a two-play drive. DE Greg Rousseau forced Stevenson to fumble and LB Dorian Williams recovered the football. The turnover resulted in a K Tyler Bass 50-yard field goal that gave the Bills the lead for the first time in the game.

On the Patriots ensuing drive, Maye and the offense were moving down the field and found themselves in the red zone at the Bills 16-yard line. Looking to his right, Maye fired a pass into the endzone intended for TE Austin Hooper, but DB Cam Lewis intercepted the pass, keeping the Patriots from scoring.

💪6. Defensive Touchdown

The Bills offense was forced to punt after the Lewis interception and the Patriots got the ball back with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter.

On their second play of the drive, Maye threw a backwards pass to Stevenson that bounced through Stevenson’s hands and the ball rolled into the end zone. CB Taron Johnson jumped on top of the football and the play was ruled a touchdown by the defense, expanding the Bills’ lead to 10 points.

🏈7. Ball game

The Bills defense proved too much for the Patriots to overcome. After Maye threw a touchdown to TE Hunter Henry following the two-minute warning in the fourth quarter, the Patriots declared an onside kick attempt. The kick was recovered by WR Khalil Shakir and the Bills offense was able to run out the clock, ending the game.

Lineup Notes: LB Edefuan Ulofoshio made his Bills debut; WR Curtis Samuel missed the game with a rib injury; LB Matt Milano missed the game due to a biceps/groin injury; DT DeWayne Carter was inactive; LB Baylon Spector left the game in the third quarter (calf);

Key Stats and Facts:

Bills tied the franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a single season – 29 in 2016.
Cook is the first Bills RB with 40+ yard TD runs in consecutive games since Mike Gillislee in 2015.
James Cook is up to 16 scrimmage touchdowns this season, second-most in franchise history behind only O.J. Simpson’s 23 in 1975.
Greg Rousseau’s third forced fumble of the season, tied for the most by a defensive lineman this season.
Tyler Bass is 4/4 from 50+ yards this season, one of three kickers to take multiple 50-yarders this season and make all of them (Anders Carlsen, Nick Folk).
Cam Lewis recorded his first interception in his 57th career NFL game. The only secondary player that went longer before recording a first career INT while on the Bills was Kiwaukee Thomas, who had his first career pick in his 109th NFL game in 2007.
Josh Allen has crossed the 500-yard rushing mark for the fourth straight season, and sixth overall in his career. The only QBs with more seasons with 500+ rush yards are Lamar Jackson and Cam Newton.
James Cook has surpassed 100 rushing yards for the second straight game. Cook is the first Bill to do so since Josh Allen in 2018 and the first Bills RB since LeSean McCoy in 2016.
Taron Johnson’s fumble return touchdown is first Bills fumble return for a TD since 12/19/2020 at Den (Jerry Hughes; 21 yds).
With 182 combined yards, Josh Allen has surpassed Patrick Mahomes (30,360) for the most combined passing and rushing yards by a player in his first seven seasons in NFL history.

Scoring Plays:

12:06 1Q | BUF 0 NE 7 | Drake Maye pass deep right to Kayshon Boutte for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

14:21 2Q | BUF 0 NE 14 | Rhamondre Stevenson right guard for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

12:05 2Q | BUF 7 NE 14 | James Cook left tackle for 46 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

9:45 3Q | BUF 14 NE 14 | Josh Allen pass short left to James Cook for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

6:07 3Q | BUF 17 NE 14 | Tyler Bass 50-yard field goal is GOOD.

10:17 4Q | BUF 24 NE 14 | Drake Maye FUMBLES at NE 3, RECOVERED by BUF-Taron Johnson at NE -1. TOUCHDOWN.

1:17 4Q | BUF 24 NE 21 | Drake Maye pass short right to Hunter Henry for 9 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

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