Top 3 Things We Learned

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Top 3 things we learned from Bills at Patriots | Week 15

Dec 14, 2025 at 09:53 PM

Alec White

Content Manager

The Buffalo Bills pulled off another stunning comeback, this time erasing a 21-0 deficit on the road at the Patriots to win 35-31.

QB Josh Allen threw three touchdowns, one of which went to RB James Cook III who also added two rushing scores. The Bills defense held New England to 7 points in the second half.

Here's what we learned from Bills vs. Patriots.

1 — Five consecutive touchdowns leads comeback charge, two defensive stops seal epic victory

Things looked bleak, among other things, for the Bills in the first half as very minimally went right in all three phases. With 5:53 left in the first half, Buffalo trailed 21-0 — their largest deficit of the season.

After recording just 14 total yards in the first three series, the Bills completely flipped the script and gained 312 yards over their next five possessions, punching it in for a touchdown on all five drives. Allen threw three touchdowns during that stretch, one to Cook and the other two to TE Dawson Knox.

Cook had three total touchdowns, including the decisive 11-yard scamper to give Buffalo a 35-31 lead with 6:48 to play.

"Our guys, they understand. They have a good feel for when they are and when they're not playing the way we need to play," McDermott said regarding halftime adjustments.

"We have to get into a rhythm sooner. But there's also an ability to adjust during a game. Anybody can come up with a game plan, but it's also what happens when they take certain things away. Are you able to pivot and adjust?"

Sunday marked just the second time in the Josh Allen era that the Bills scored a touchdown on five consecutive possessions in the same game.

More, the Bills' 21-point comeback win is the largest by a visiting team in the history of Gillette Stadium. It's tied for the second-largest regular season comeback by the Bills in team history.

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"I think it's the love that each man in that locker room has for each other, the willingness to put their body on the line in order to not let their teammates down. And I think that's the driving force," Allen said of the team's resiliency.

Leading 35-31, the Bills got two huge defensive stands when they needed it most. New England had -2 net yards on their final two possessions and did not record a first down. Buffalo sacked Patriots QB Drake Maye twice, one on each series, with LB Matt Milano and DE Greg Rousseau getting to the QB.

The Bills had three sacks total against New England after combining for three over their previous five games.

On the Patriots final play of the game, DE Joey Bosa dropped back in coverage, then slid over toward Maye as he got out of the pocket. Bosa did just enough to get his hands in the throwing lane and tip the ball for an incompletion on 4th and 5 from the NE 22.

"When he scrambled, my job was to go and get him, and I triggered. I was just hoping that he didn't shake me and get the first down. So I was hoping for the sack, but got my hand up," Bosa said.

2 — Josh Allen showing why he can be a two-time MVP, James Cook inches closer to the top of rushing list

Either QB Josh Allen or RB James Cook had a hand in every Bills touchdown Sunday.

Allen's three touchdown passes now bring him to 37 combined TDs this season, tied with Rams QB Matthew Stafford for most in the NFL. The reigning MVP is now on pace to surpass his touchdowns from 2024, needing just four more scores to tie his total of 41 from a season ago.

"6-5, 250 pounds, runs fast, hard to tackle, hard to get down on the ground, accurate, strong arm. Giving you a dissertation on a league MVP. Just watch all the games," said Patriots coach Mike Vrabel.

Allen was especially dialed in during the second half.

In three games this season (Ravens, Bengals, Patriots), Buffalo has trailed by at least 10 points in the second half and comeback to win. In the second half of those games, Allen has combined for 47 of 64 passing (73%), 594 passing yards, 5 passing TDs, 143 rushing yards and 3 rushing TDs.

"Obviously we want to start faster. We don't want to continue to put ourselves in these holes that we're finding ourselves in, but being able to dig ourselves out and be battle tested down the stretch here," Allen shared.

On the season, the Bills QB leads the NFL in second half touchdowns, completion percentage and total yards of offense.

"That's his superpower. That's who Josh Allen is. We talked about it all week," Patriots top cornerback Christian Gonzalez said of Allen's ability to turn the tide of games.

Also plenty deserving of praise is RB James Cook III who recorded his league-leading eighth 100-yard rushing game of the season. Cook reached 4,000 career rushing yards — just the sixth Bills RB ever to reach that milestone.

He's now at 1,415 rush yards on the season and trails Colts RB Jonathan Taylor (1,443) by less than 30 yards for the NFL rushing title. With two rushing touchdowns and one receiving touchdown, Cook is tied for 2nd all-time in Bills RB history with his second career game with 3+ scrimmage TD.

3 — Buffalo remains alive in the AFC East

The division champion hats and t-shirts will have to wait. The Bills ensured that the AFC East is still up for grabs. New England could've clinched with a win Sunday but now will have to wait until Week 17 for their next chance.

"We understood what was at stake, but at the same time that wasn't really in the back of our heads," Allen said. "We were just, 'hey, we got to find a way to win a football game'. And that's what we did.

The simplest path to a division title for the Bills: Buffalo wins out and New England loses to either the Jets or Dolphins.

While a six-consecutive division title would ensure the Bills of at least one home playoff game, there are bigger goals in mind.

"The last five-ish years we've found sustained success but never been able to punch our ticket to the Super Bowl," Allen said. "That's every team's dream. Our goal is not just to win the AFC East."