Turnovers doom the Patriots in an upset matchup against the Bills

BOSTON – The New England Patriots struggled early against the Bills in Buffalo, but faltered in the second half and lost 24-21 at Orchard Park on Sunday. The Patriots have now suffered five straight losses and are under first-year head coach Jerod Mayo this season.

New England took a 14-0 lead after scoring on its first two possessions, but didn’t score again until just over a minute into the game. The Patriots committed three turnovers in the second half that gave Buffalo 10 points.

The Patriots had no answer for James Cook, who ran for 100 yards and a touchdown on 11 carries and also had a receiving score. Buffalo quarterback Josh Allen was 16 of 29 for 154 yards, a touchdown and an interception and also had 30 yards on six rush attempts.

Drake Maye got off to a great start and had a beautiful touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte on New England’s first drive, but also threw an interception in the red zone in the second half. The rookie finished the game with 22 of 36 yards, two touchdowns and a pick. The Patriots scored some QB runs for Maye, who also had 31 yards on six attempts.

It was a much closer game than anyone expected, as the Patriots enter Week 16 as 14-point underdogs. There were some positive developments as the Patriots were able to hold their own on home soil against a Super Bowl favorite like the Bills.

But ultimately the Patriots made too many mistakes to eke out a win, as turnovers cost them a chance at a big upset in Buffalo.

How the Patriots lost to the Bills

The Patriots came into action in Buffalo and scored on their first possession for the second time this season. A defensive pass interference by the Bills helped New England get downfield, and Maye dropped a beautiful 28-yard pass right into Boutte’s bucket at the front of the end zone for a touchdown. The Bills had good coverage against Boutte, but Maye delivered a perfect pass for six early points.

That hit gave Maye a touchdown pass in seven straight games for New England.

After forcing a Buffalo punt, Maye and the Patriots offense launched a 16-play touchdown drive that took nearly 10 minutes after halftime. New England converted two third downs – a 10-yard scramble by Maye and a 12-yard connection between the QB and tight end Hunter Henry – and Stevenson capped it all with a 14-yard touchdown sprint to give the Patriots one 14-yard touchdown. 0 lead.

Keeping the ball out of Allen’s hands was a key part of New England’s game plan, and it worked perfectly in the first half. But the Patriots couldn’t stop Cook.

Buffalo’s first scoring drive lasted just four plays, as Cook broke off a 46-yard touchdown run to make the score 14-7. The Bills were back on track after a New England three-and-out, but Allen threw an interception to Marte Mapu in the end zone after an ill-advised deep ball on a third-and-16. But the Bills also got a break in the game when Mapu tried to break up a return and was brought down at the New England 1-yard line.

The Patriots managed to gain some yards despite this poor field position, and Mayo even got aggressive when he dialed a fake punt on a fourth-and-1 at their own 23-yard line, which Dell Pettus converted. But the Patriots fought back and took a 14-7 lead at halftime.

The Bills woke up at halftime, came out firing, and went on a nine-play touchdown drive to start the second half. Cook ran for 40 yards – including a 25-yard run on the first play of the half – and capped the drive with a 4-yard touchdown reception from Allen, tying the game at 14-14.

Two plays into New England’s next drive, Stevenson fumbled when Greg Rousseau knocked the ball loose, and the Bills took over at the New England 42-yard line. Buffalo scored a 50-yard field goal from Tyler Bass on that loss to take a 17-14 lead.

The Patriots entered the red zone on their next possession, but Maye was picked off at the front corner of the end zone while looking for tight end Austin Hooper. Hooper fell at the end of his route, but Maye’s pass was a little short and was intercepted by Cam Lewis.

The Bills didn’t score any points on that interception, but took 5:38 to play before a Sam Martin punt pinned the Patriots at their own 10-yard line with 11 minutes left.

But New England’s possession lasted only two plays. On second down, Maye threw a reverse pass that bounced off Stevenson’s hands, and Taron Johnson recovered in the end zone for an easy touchdown that gave Buffalo a 24-14 lead. It’s a pass that Stevenson should have had, but it’s also fair to question why the Patriots threw it backwards inside their own 10-yard line.

The two teams exchanged punts on their next possession, but the Patriots were able to advance deep into Buffalo territory on their next possession thanks to a series of penalties by the Bills. Maye fumbled and recovered on a second-and-goal play before hitting Henry for a nine-yard touchdown on a third-and-goal play, making the game 24-21 with 1:13 left .

The Bills recovered Joey Slye’s squib kick but faced a fourth-and-1 at the New England 27-yard line with 10 seconds left. Allen called his own number and took first place to end the game and escape with a win.

New England has now listed six of its last seven games against Buffalo.

What’s next for the New England Patriots?

The Patriots will play their final two games of the 2024 season at home, starting next Saturday with a visit to the 9-6 Los Angeles Chargers. The game kicks off at 1 p.m. at Gillette Stadium.

The Chargers have won just two of their last five games, but are in the AFC playoffs thanks to a 34-27 win over the Denver Broncos last Thursday night. Los Angeles trailed 21-13 at halftime, but outscored the Broncos 21-6 in the second half to secure the comeback victory. Justin Herbert threw two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter and has 18 TD passes with just three interceptions this season.

The Chargers won in New England last season, earning a 6-0 victory over the Bailey Zappe-led Patriots on a cold and rainy day in Foxboro.