The 2025 Buffalo Bills season has been written, but the book is incomplete. Before we cast our full attention toward the 2026 season, let’s take one last glance back over our shoulder for our annual look at the Plays That Defined the prior campaign.
For any newcomers, first and foremost; Welcome! When it comes to the “rules” of this exercise, we’re not voting for our favorite highlight necessarily, but the one that best captures the essence of the game. Put differently, if you had to choose just one play
to show someone to explain as much of the contest as possible, which would you choose?
Week 15; Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots
After a thrilling come-from-behind win against the Cincinnati Bengals at home in the snow, the Buffalo Bills prepared to head a little East to take on the New England Patriots. Behind the Patriots in the division, and already having dropped a game to them, the Bills were looking to close the gap while getting some revenge.
Now the darlings of the NFL, New England hadn’t dropped a game since Week 3, two weeks before taking down Buffalo. Down 21 – 0 early, it looked like Bills fans would have to wait for revenge. Entering halftime, a Buffalo touchdown was fun, but the Bills were still down by 17. Buffalo took a hell of a deep breath during the break and came back with a stampede of points while allowing just one more score to New England. A late lead seemed tenuous, but the defense held on for the final two drives by the Patriots to secure the victory.
James Cook touchdown (Q3; 3:51)
In the second half, the Bills battled back to get into the game. A touchdown by Dawson Knox brought them to “just” ten points down from the Pats. This touchdown from James Cook was the definition of “hard fought,” needing to be reviewed to confirm he got in. Hard fought was the name of the game here, with 37 rushing attempts by Buffalo for just 168 yards. This helped control the clock and the pace of the game, which ended up being major factors in the Buffalo win.
This was the first of two rushing touchdowns by Cook (the second being the game winner) to go with a first half receiving one. Now down by just three, it was suddenly anyone’s ball game.
Tre’Davious White interception (Q3; 1:39)
The second half defense was (mostly) a different beast from the first half. New England was pushed off their game, for instance being faced with 3rd & 25. Needing to pass deep, not Drake Maye’s strong suit, the ball arced high and drifted wide. Tre’Davious White was in better position to track the ball and came away with the arm punt.
Dawson Knox touchdown (Q4; 10:10)
Contributing in a big way alongside James Cook was tight end Dawson Knox. Knox’s three catches weren’t anything wild, but it was a day for spreading the ball around with Khalil Shakir being the only target with a higher catch total at five. Making Knox’s game special was mostly the timing. Two of this three catches went for scores. This one seemed unlikely not only because of Josh Allen running like a madman while throwing, but the down and distance thanks to being set back by an offensive holding penalty the play before. That penalty had negated an Allen rushing touchdown as well, setting up for a nailbiter attempt on this down.
And oh yeah, with this score the Bills had a lead for the first time in the contest.
Bills allow rushing touchdown… again (Q4; 10:03)
That lead was short-lived as the very next play was this nonsense. This 65-yarder was the second extremely long rushing touchdown and the fourth rushing touchdown total. The two shorter ones were being ran in by Drake Maye. For those of you reading this who might be comparing Maye and Allen, that put the tally of passing touchdowns for zero from Maye against three from Allen.
Fourth-down stop (Q4; 1:54)
After taking the lead again thanks to another James Cook rushing touchdown Buffalo needed to hang on. New England ended up with two drives to try to retake the lead. The Patriots, feeling pressured to pass, only called one run play on these final two drives. Buffalo’s pass defense forced a three-and-out and then a four-and-out seen here with Joey Bosa tipping the ball. Buffalo was able to run out the clock for the win.
