The Buffalo Bills lost their first game of the season to their long-time rivals, theNew England Patriots, 29-26.
Buffalo (3-1), riding high on a three-game winning streak, could not take advantage of a struggling New England (2-2) team. The Patriots, fresh off a 35-6 loss to Jacksonville last week, looked like the far superior team this afternoon.
The Bills made more mistakes and could not make the big play when called upon to ultimately hold the lead Sunday afternoon.
Here is Bills Wire's instant analysis of Buffalo's performance in Week 4:
What went right?
- James Cook opened the scoring for the Bills with an eight-yard touchdown run. The play completed a methodical 13-play, 62-yard drive to tie the game midway through the first quarter.
- Buffalo's defense forced the first turnover of the game. In the second quarter of a tied game, the Patriots drove just outside of the red zone. T.J. Parker and Ed Oliver forced Maye into a turnover. Greg Gaines recovered the loose ball.
- Josh Allen set the franchise record with the most touchdowns from scrimmage with a two-yard plunge into the end zone late in the second quarter. The score tied the game at 14-14, and it was Allen's 88th touchdown from scrimmage, surpassing the mark of 87 set by Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed.
- Buffalo's defense played well in the final minute of the first half. First, the Bills forced a three-and-out, a series that lasted only 31 seconds. Then, Dee Alford recorded his first interception in a Bills uniform. The Bills were fortunate in this case, as Patriots wideout Romeo Doubs lost possession of a pass, which fell right into Alford's hands. Alford's interception return put Buffalo in position for a field goal attempt. Tyler Bass made the 27-yard field goal, giving the Bills the lead going into halftime.
- Keon Coleman was efficient and effective in the passing game. He made multiple contested catches during the game. The pinnacle of Coleman's game was catching a 34-ayrd pass to give the Bills the lead with four-and-a-half minutes remaining in regulation.
What went wrong?
- The Bills allowed the Patriots to score on their first drive. Buffalo's special teams unit pinned deep, with a strong play by Sam Franklin Jr. However, New England moved the ball effectively on this drive, finishing with a 12-play, 97-yard drive. Romeo Doubs beat Max Hairston for a 14-yard touchdown reception in the end zone.
- Khalil Shakir fumbled late in the second half. The turnover stopped a promising, late drive to put points on the board. Buffalo's defense had made a quick stop, giving the Bills a chance to drive into Patriots territory. Shakir was bailed out by the Dee Alford interception. However, Shakir's fumble did not give the Bills an opportunity to get to the end zone.
- Buffalo's secondary struggled throughout the game. Buffalo's CB1, Christian Benford, did not dress due to an injury. Max Hairston, thrust into the shutdown cornerback role, struggled against Romeo Doubs. Doubs ended the game with six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
- Watching Drake Maye was maddening. Maybe broke out of the pocket multiple times, avoiding pressure and gaining chunks of yardage with his legs.
- New England moved down efficiently to regain the lead late in the fourth quarter. Efton Chism III made a ridiculous one-handed catch to take the lead. The Patriots drive lasted only 2:37, in which they completed it in eight plays and covered 73 yards. The Bills couldn't stop the Patriots on the two-point conversion, as Maye extended the play and found Rhamondre Stevenson with a short pass to give New England the three-point advantage.
- Josh Allen threw an ill-timed, ill-advised pass that ultimately put the game in New England's hands. Allen avoided the rush from defensive lineman Dre'Mont Jones. Allen then chucked a pass up into double coverage. Craig Woodson came down with the interception, effectively giving the win to the Patriots.
- Buffalo still had a chance to get the ball back late in the game. New England took possession of the ball with one minute remaining in the game following Allen's interception. Buffalo stuffed the Patriots on first down. Then, the Patriots made an aggressive play call to pass on second down. The pass was incomplete, leaving the Bills with two timeouts left. The Bills, who were beaten by Drake Maye rollouts all afternoon, could not defend the final pass of the game. Hunter Henry found space and ran for the final first down of the game following a short pass.
The bottom line
Buffalo was not the better team in the game. It was surprising to see the Bills outperformed by their rivals. The Bills elected to receive the ball once again at the start ofthe game, and they proceeded to go
three-and-out on the first series. From that moment, it seemed like the Bills were facing an uphill climb all afternoon.
It's quite disappointing for the Bills, as it seems like the team was exposed for their shortcomings. Buffalo did not overcome these miscues over the first few weeks. Unfortunately, they could not find a way to mitigate their errors and work their way into the win column.
The other concern: for the first time this season, it seems as if head coach Joe Brady and his staff were outcoached. New England had an answer for anything the Bills tried to throw at them. Buffalo's run game was largely absent until the fourth quarter. Tight end Dalton Kincaid was a ghost in this week's game. The defense couldn't make a play when the team most needed it.
Even more concerning: When DJ Moore left the game with an injury, the Bills strugggled ot move the ball consistently. Keon Coleman stepped up, but there wasn't enough as a collaborative unit to make up for the loss.
Buffalo remains at the top of the division. However, a win this week would have put an early-season stranglehold on the AFC East. Instead, the Bills lead shrinks to one game in the divisional standings.
What's next?
Buffalo travels to Los Angeles to take on the Rams on Monday, October 12. The Rams won against the Philadelphia Eagles in comeback fashion, 24-20. Entering the afternoon window, the Rams moved within one game of the AFC West lead.
This article originally appeared on Bills Wire: Instant analysis: What went right, what went wrong in the Bills' loss to the Patriots
