The Patriots were in great shape to tie the game in the closing minute, or even win it, but on second-and-10 from the Buffalo 19-yard line, Cam Newton fumbled and the Bills jumped on the lose ball.
Buffalo ran out the clock to come away with a 24-21 win, dropping the Patriots to 2-5 on the year and losers of four straight.
Newton was careless with the ball after picking up several yards and it was an easy strip.
The Patriots had scored touchdowns on their last two possessions prior to the turnover, their only one of the day.
Here are 10 quick observations from the game.
1. Newton played decent until the fumble late. He finished the game 15-for-25 with 174 yards passing with no touchdowns and no picks. He added 54 yards rushing on nine carries, but everyone will be talking about his fumble on the final New England drive. He was better than the last few weeks, but it was a low bar to pass.
2. The Patriots defense had some good moments and bad moments, but it made some big plays, including holding the Bills to a field goal late, which gave the Patriots a chance to tie or win the game. Injuries are piling up on that side of the ball, as Ja’Whaun Bentley and Lawrence Guy left with injuries.
3. The Patriots finally got their run game going in the second half, led by Damien Harris. Harris finished with 102 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries. It’s become quite clear the Patriots offense is at its best when it is moving the ball on the ground, setting up manageable third downs. Harris has seemed to take on the No. 1 running back role.
4. While the defense was decent at times, it still showed signs of really struggling against the run and the tackling was very, very poor at times. Buffalo ran for 190 yards, which is the second-most allowed all year by the Patriots defense and the third straight game the unit has allowed more than 135 yards rushing.
5. The Patriots really managed Newton with third-down calls, as it seems they do not have much trust in him and want to limit the chances for a potential turnover. This could not have been any more evident at the end of the first half when they opted to kick a field goal on third down with 12 seconds left.
6. Not to keep piling on N’Keal Harry, but Jakobi Meyers has been able to do much more with his opportunities. Meyers finished with six receptions for 58 yards. Meanwhile, here are Harry’s yards receiving in games this year: 39, 72, 34, 21, 0, 6.
7. Penalties were a major issue for the Patriots, especially pre-snap penalties. The team finished with five for 35 yards. The offense was having trouble moving the ball normally, so the penalties made it even more difficult. New England entered the game on pace for 40 penalties this year, which was on pace for the fewest in the history of the NFL.
8. Chase Winovich continues to see his playing time significantly limited. He played just two snaps in the first half of the game. This is an interesting development considering he was one of the Patriots’ best defensive players in the early going this season.
9. In his first game, rookie linebacker Josh Uche made a few plays on passing downs for the defense. The second-round pick was just activated off injured reserve Saturday. Expect him to get even more playing time as the year goes on and he gains more experience.
10. All attention now turns to Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline, which is set for 4 p.m. It seems unclear at this point what direction the team could go in as it is conceivable they could be buyers or sellers, if they do anything at all. The team will take on the Jets next Monday night.
Harris' touchdown run snapped a six-quarter streak of the Patriots not scoring a touchdown. That was tied for their most consecutive quarters without a touchdown under Bill Belichick (2000 Weeks 12-13).
