Foxborough, Mass. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Bills traveled to Massachusetts on Thursday to take on their long time AFC East rival, the New England Patriots, for the first time this season.
In the process, the Bills earned their ninth win of the season, as well the team's first divisional victory by a score of 24-10 at Gillette Stadium.
The Bills defense stood tall after the Patriots received the opening kickoff that resulted in a three-and-out.
Quarterback Josh Allen and the offense faced a pair of 3rd-and-long situations on their opening drive and were able to convert on one, but not the other. However, it was enough to get kicker Tyler Bass into field goal range, where he nailed a 48-yard field goal attempt to give the Bills an early lead.
The Patriots got their offense rolling on their next drive, with quarterback Mac Jones leading the way and finding cornerback turned wide receiver Marcus Jones for a 48-yard touchdown play.
The Buffalo offense got the ground game rumbling on the next drive, where rookie running back James Cook led the way with 31 rushing yards. The Bills were able to get down into the red zone right before the end of the first quarter thanks to a short run by Allen.
On the first play of the second quarter, Allen found his No. 1 target, wide receiver Stefon Diggs with an eight-yard touchdown pass to put the Bills back on top.
Defensive end Shaq Lawson and the rest of the defensive line came up huge on the Patriots' next drive, almost securing a safety for the second game in-a-row. However, they were able to force a New England punt, giving the Bills the ball right back.
Allen and the offense got cooking again on the following drive with big plays from Cook and wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie. Allen capped off the drive with an incredible individual effort, finding wide receiver Gabe Davis with a dart just before heading out of bounds.
The two teams traded possession back-and-forth for the remainder of the half.
The Patriots had a chance to bring the game to within a touchdown on a 48-yard field goal attempt from kicker Nick Folk, but his kick came up short, bouncing off the crossbar with 15 seconds remaining in the half.
The beginning of the second half was the exact opposite of the first half, as neither team was able to score in the third quarter. Both teams punted back-and-forth once before the Bills' second drive of the quarter resulted in the dagger for New England.
For almost nine minutes of game time, the Bills were able to deflate the air out of the Patriots' balloon with a 15-play drive spanning 94 yards. Buffalo was able to finally punch the football into the end zone, as running back Devin Singletary ended up with a one-yard touchdown run.
Following two more punts, the Patriots offense started to move the ball down field and had a long drive of their own. New England held onto the ball for almost six minutes of game clock, but it was all too little, too late. Just after the two-minute warning, the Patriots elected to settle for a 39-yard field goal from Folk to make it a 24-10 score.
Following the field goal, the Patriots attempted an onside kick but failed to recover the football. The Bills kneeled out the remaining time on the clock to seal the victory.
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GAME SUMMARY
First Quarter:
- 3-0 BUFFALO: Bills field goal (8:02) - Tyler Bass' 48-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 9 plays, 37 yards, 4:55
- 7-3 NEW ENGLAND: Patriots touchdown (4:46) - Mac Jones finds Marcus Jones on a 48-yard touchdown pass. (Nick Folk's extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 5 plays, 75 yards, 3:16
Second Quarter:
- 10-7 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (14:56) - Josh Allen lobs an eight-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 9 plays, 82 yards, 4:50
- 17-7 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (5:27) - Josh Allen finds Gabriel Davis with an eight-yard touchdown pass. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 14 plays, 56 yards, 7:46
Third Quarter:
- NO SCORING PLAYS
Fourth Quarter:
- 24-7 BUFFALO: Bills touchdown (14:31) - Devin Singletary punches the ball in on a one-yard touchdown run. (Tyler Bass' extra point attempt is good)
Drive info: 15 plays, 94 yards, 8:55
- 24-10 BUFFALO: Patriots field goal (1:53) - Nick Folk's 39-yard field goal attempt is good.
Drive info: 17 plays, 57 yards, 5:45
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SKYWORKS EQUIPMENT RENTAL STATS OF THE GAME
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What's next:
The Bills head back home to prepare for a pair of divisional contests at Highmark Stadium, starting next Sunday against the New York Jets. Kickoff is scheduled 1 p.m. EST on the official voice of the Bills - WGR Sports Radio 550.
