Foxborough, Mass. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Bills completed another terrific comeback when they erased a 21-point second-quarter deficit to beat the New England Patriots, 35-31, on Sunday and improve to 10-4 on the season.
Here are my Arrows Up and Down from the contest, starting Up for the third-straight week after the Bills won their third game in-a-row:
ARROW UP:
Second-half adjustments/coaching
The Bills were getting throttled early in the game, facing a 21-0 deficit in the second quarter and down 24-7 at halftime.
After that, they outscored the Patriots, 28-7. In the second half, the Bills outgained New England, 273-100.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye was just 5-of-12 for 42 yards. The Bills also sacked Maye three times in the second half after having no sacks through the first 30 minutes.
QB - Josh Allen
After a slow start by the offense, Allen finished 19-of-28 (67.9%) for 193 yards and three touchdown passes. He also ran 11 times for 48 yards.
TE - Dawson Knox
Knox was very important for the second-straight week, catching three passes for 34 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
In the process, he passed Pete Metzalaars to become the Bills' all-time leader in touchdown catches by a tight end with 26.
Knox also became a dad for the first time earlier in the week when he and his wife, Alex, welcomed their daughter Noa Elizabeth into the world.
LB - Matt Milano
Milano made a couple huge plays on defense when he got to Maye for two sacks. He also had a team-high 10 tackles, and was credited with two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
CB - Tre’Davious White
White collected his first interception since September 2023 when he made a great play on a deep ball down the sidelines, giving the ball back to the Bills down three points near the end of the third quarter.
The Bills then marched 91 yards to take their first lead.
White finished the win with two total tackles, including one for loss, as well as a pass breakup.
RB - James Cook
Cook found the end zone three different times, twice on the ground, where he ran for 107 yards on 22 carries, averaging 4.9 yards a run. The other touchdown was a 4-yard reception from Allen.
KR - Ray Davis
Davis averaged 41 yards a kick return and set the Bills up with great field position multiple times, including at the Patriots' 42-yard line, which led to the Bills first (and badly needed) score in the second quarter.
He also opened up the second half with a return to the Patriots' 44-yard line, leading to another touchdown.
The Bills' average drive start after kickoffs was their own 46-yard line!
Special teams coordinator Chris Tabor/Reggie Gilliam wrinkle
Tabor deserves a lot of credit for mixing up the kickoff formation, going with one returner (Davis) and placing Reggie Gilliam in front as a lead blocker. A new wrinkle that turned out to be very successful.
WR - Khalil Shakir
Shakir didn’t have eye-popping numbers, but he caught all five of his targets for 65 yards, leading the Bills in receiving in both categories.
P - Mitch Wishnowsky
Wishnowsky punted four times for the Bills and on three of them, the Patriots started at their own 12-, own 6-, and own 17-yard lines.
Containing Marcus Jones on punt returns
The Patriots punt returner is, arguably, the best in the league. He came into the game averaging 17.3 yards a return, which was second-best in the NFL.
In this one, the Bills held Jones to five yards on two returns.
Field position battle
The Bills' average drive start for the game on all possessions was their own 39-yard line. For the Patriots, it was their own 25-yard line.
K - Matt Prater
In slightly snowy conditions, Prater was 5-for-5 on his kicks - all extra points - and every one of them was important, considering how the game unfolded.
Third-down offense
The Bills were 8-for-14 on third down (57.1%). They also converted their only fourth down attempt.
Red zone offense
The Bills had the ball inside the Patriots' 20-yard line six different times and scored five touchdowns. The only time they didn’t was at the end of the game when they kneeled down to finish it off.
Goal-to-go offense
Four times the Bills had a goal-to-go situation and they scored a touchdown on each one.
Containing Stefon Diggs
The last time these two teams played, the former Bills wide receiver torched his old team. This time, the Bills held Diggs to just three catches for 26 yards.
ARROW DOWN:
The first half - coaching and playing
The Bills were completely outplayed and outcoached to start the game, and for the entirety of the first half. They had no answers for the Patriots on offense or defense.
In the first 30 minutes, New England outgained Buffalo, 285-76, were up 21-0, and led 24-7 at halftime.
Tackling
Once again, tackling popped up as an issue for the Bills defense. Not being able to get ball carriers to the ground cost them, especially early in the contest.
Brandin Cooks’ drop on the first offensive play
On the very first play for the Bills offense, down 7-0, Allen threw an absolute dime to Cooks way down the field for, what should have been, a huge gain. However, Cooks bobbled it twice, and then couldn’t catch it before going out of bounds.
Sean McDermott not challenging the early big catch
On the Patriots’ first drive, facing a 3rd-and-7, Maye hit wideout Kayshon Boutte down the right sideline for a 30-yard gain.
Replay showed the ball actually touch the ground, and it may have been able to be overturned if the Bills challenged it.
However, the Patriots hurried to the line and the Bills head coach never threw the red challenge flag.
Replay assist
On the aforementioned Cooks play, officials on the field announced that replay assist overturned, what was originally ruled, a catch. But there was no replay assist help on the Boutte catch/non-catch.
Run defense
The Bills got beaten badly on the ground once again. New England ran the ball 25 times for a total of 246 yards, averaging 9.8 yards per-carry.
Long runs given up
It wasn’t just the volume of runs. The Bills gave up touchdown runs, both by TreVeyon Henderson, of 65 and 52 yards.
Lack of wideout production
Outside of Shakir, Bills wide receivers totaled just one catch on five targets for just 16 yards, which came from Joshua Palmer.
Even with Shakir’s numbers added in, wideouts totaled just six grabs for 81 yards.
Not nearly enough.
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