Photo by WuTang94 (CC0), via Wikimedia Commons

Why Buffalo's Late-Game Mistakes Turned the AFC East Race Upside Down

The Buffalo Bills dropped their first game of the season on Sunday, falling 29-26 to the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park. Holding a 26-23 advantage late in the fourth quarter, Buffalo surrendered a decisive scoring drive before an interception sealed the result, tightening the division standings after four weeks of play.

1:50

That was the exact time remaining on the game clock when New England wide receiver Efton Chism III hauled in a diving touchdown catch in the end zone to push the Patriots ahead 29-26. The score culminated a steady afternoon for quarterback Drake Maye, who connected on 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns alongside contributions on the ground.

Buffalo cornerback C.J. Gardner-Johnson later dismissed Chism's winning play as a fluke, calling him a practice squad player who would not repeat the feat, while Patriots coach Mike Vrabel defended his receiver by pointing out that Gardner-Johnson had played for seven franchises across an eight-year career.

3

That is the interception tally Josh Allen has accumulated over his last two outings, with his latest turnover extinguishing Buffalo's hopes inside the final minute. Allen attempted a deep throw that deflected off receiver Romeo Doubs and landed in New England's hands.

The quarterback conceded afterward that the ball should have been directed out of bounds, while Buffalo rookie coach Joe Brady took personal blame for the play call. The miscue shadowed an otherwise productive outing in which Allen ran for his seventh touchdown of 2026 to become the Bills' all-time touchdown leader over Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed, and also connected with Keon Coleman on a 34-yard touchdown.

Coleman finished with six receptions for 116 yards, marking the second-highest receiving yardage total of his career.

29

The 29 points conceded by Buffalo's defense revealed vulnerabilities for a unit that battled significant absences. Starting cornerback Christian Benford missed the contest with a toe injury, while defensive tackle Ed Oliver and wide receiver DJ Moore exited during the matchup due to injuries.

The defense also found itself on the field after early special teams oddities: Buffalo's opening possession ended in a three-and-out, followed by a punt batted back into play near the goal line by Te'Cory Couch. Marcus Jones gathered the football inside New England's 5-yard line, and despite losing control, the Patriots kept possession under the rule that an opponent touching a live punt does not transfer the ball.

These numbers show a contest decided in critical late-game sequences. The defeat leaves Buffalo at 3-1, while New England moves to 2-2, narrowing the Bills' lead atop the AFC East to a single game.

Up nextNFL· 2d ago

Buffalo Bills Week 4 inactives vs. the New England Patriots