The Buffalo Bills couldn’t mount a game-winning drive in the final two minutes against the Patriots and fell to their AFC East foe 29-26 inside the new Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
They’re still sitting atop the division at 3-1, but the Patriots climbed back into the race at 2-2.
These were my takeaways from Buffalo’s Week 4 loss.
Something is up with Josh Allen as a scrambler… I think
The Bills have squashed any speculation about a Josh Allen injury hindering his propensity to run with the football and effectiveness doing so.
And that’s all this is — speculation.
We all noticed Allen pass up some easy running lanes against the Chargers in Week 3. He ran for four yards on five carries against the Patriots and most of those yards came on tush pushes.
Now, of course, I’m not advocating for Allen to take punishment when scrambling or on designed runs. But Drake Maye reminded the Bills how impactful a nimble quarterback can be throughout the course of the game, particularly when the defense feels like it has called and executed the perfect counter to what the offense throws at it. And at least when Allen is scrambling, he’s seeing defenders as they approach him, is larger than all of the second and third-level defenders, and can brace for contact. More quarterbacks are actually injured inside the pocket than when scrambling outside it.
Allen is the most dangerous and productive rushing quarterback in the NFL. In his career, Allen has run for three more first downs on 196 fewer rushing attempts than Lamar Jackson. Think about that. It’s a huge, borderline unstoppable element of what Allen brings to the Bills offense. And it’s been mostly missing the past few weeks when we know it’s not in Allen’s DNA to be timid rushing the football. It’s definitely something to continue to monitor closely in the coming weeks before the bye.
Jim Leonhard’s blitzes aren’t regularly getting home
Entering Week 4’s game against the Patriots, the Bills were 23rd in blitz rate at just 24.2%. Hardly a clear uptick from the Sean McDermott defense that was mostly blitzing-averse from an original game plan perspective.
Then, Leonhard cranked the blitz dial against Maye, and it hardly worked. He blitzed the Patriots quarterback on 47.6% of his dropbacks.
Against it, the third-year quarterback went 11-of-18 for 156 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions. It’s actually been the individual play of Greg Rousseau and Deone Walker —sprinkled in with some Ed Oliver and Bradley Chubb — that has generated the most regular pressure, not Leonhard’s blitzes.
And the Patriots blitzes felt significantly more effective — even blitzes of the delayed variety. They more regularly got a free rusher to Josh Allen.
Part of the problem with the Bills defense through the first month of the season is that it’s a “pressure-package” based philosophy, and beyond the first half against the Lions, those pressure packages haven’t confused quarterbacks to the level we all expected.
In a game like that, James Cook needs more carries
I am the biggest advocate of throwing the football, especially when Allen is your quarterback. I’m also in awe of Cook’s development as a runner and certainly remember his rushing title from a season ago. I do need to remind myself of it at times.
In a tightly contested game, Cook needs to get handed the football more than 12 times. Do I think he needs it 28 times? No. Hardly.
But 12 felt like not enough when the margin was within one score the entire game.
I don’t want the Bills to be one of the run-heaviest teams in the NFL. Far from. Buffalo’s field-goal drive that started late in the third quarter was a prime example of how the Bills can lean on the opponent with the run game, even if it’s not effective early, and where Joe Brady made a mistake
That drive started with runs of 8, 17, and 10 yards from Cook on consecutive plays. Keon Coleman made a ridiculous tip-to-himself catch to convert a third down later in the drive, but Buffalo’s star running back never touched the ball after gaining those 35 yards on the opening three plays of the possession.
Cook is an elite back and needs to be treated like one every game, particularly the tightly contested battles.
Sometimes opposing players just make spectacular plays
A week ago, Chargers wideout Quentin Johnston dropped what would’ve been a first-down in the second half on a third down, which of course led to a Los Angeles punt.
Against the Patriots, Romeo Doubs and Efton Chism both reeled in one-handed touchdowns in the corner of the end zone against tight coverage. DeMario Douglas had an exquisite toe-tap excruciatingly close to the sideline. Doubs had a few of those snags as well.
Sometimes in the NFL, with how naturally talented and positionally skilled players are today, you simply have to tip your cap to your opponent in those key moments.
From my vantage point, I thought Maye overthrew Chism. And the second-year pro from Eastern Washington I loved during the 2025 pre-draft process simply made a spectacular grab. There’s really no blame to be assigned to anyone employed by the Bills on that play. Davison Igbinosun was a quarter-step behind Chism on a double move. The throw actually had to be slightly overthrown for it to have any chance to be completed.
Maye regularly stepped away from pressure and either ran or made a pinpoint accurate throw, typically near the sideline, to move the chains. All of which was very similar to how he played in New England’s win against the Bills a season ago.
Buffalo is accustomed to their players like Allen, Cook, Rousseau, Walker, Khalil Shakir, Christian Benford and Co. making those plays. In Week 4, the Patriots got a few more spectacular efforts from their players, and that’s why they won. Hat tip.
