Top 3 Things We Learned

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Top 3 things we learned from Bills vs. Patriots | Week 5

Oct 06, 2025 at 02:33 AM

Alec White

Content Manager

The Buffalo Bills (4-1) suffered their first loss of the season with a 23-20 defeat at home to the New England Patriots (3-2). Here's what we learned.

1 — NFL's last remaining unbeaten team falls in the final minute

For the first time since 2014, there are no more undefeated teams in the NFL after five weeks of the regular season. After the Eagles loss at home to the Broncos earlier Sunday, the Bills entered their primetime matchup as the lone remaining 4-0 team in the league.

Even a raucous white out crowd under the lights in Orchard Park crowd couldn't pull the Bills out of an uneven and uncharacteristic 60 minutes of football. Despite outgaining their opponent, winning time of possession and having more first downs, the Bills suffered their first defeat of the 2025 season.

"We just played sloppy," QB Josh Allen said. "We just did not play good tonight."

Buffalo trailed 6-3 at halftime, the first time they'd gone without a touchdown in the first half since Week 6 of the 2023 season against the Giants. The Bills entered Sunday with a record of 9-8 (.529) when down at half since 2022, a winning percentage that ranked top three in the NFL.

"We played the game that they wanted us to play," head coach Sean McDermott said.

As inconsistent as the performance was, the Bills still had a chance to win at the end of the game. Trailing 20-10 early in the fourth quarter, Allen led the Bills on an eight-play, 74-yard drive culminating in a two-yard touchdown to WR Keon Coleman to pull the Bills within a field goal.

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The Bills defense responded and got the stop they needed but Allen & Co. were unable to take advantage once they crossed into Patriots territory. After connecting with WR Khalil Shakir for a 12-yard gain to get to the New England 27, Allen threw three straight incompletions and had to settle for a Matt Prater game-tying field goal instead of a go-ahead touchdown.

The incompletions in addition to the field goal left over two minutes of clock for the Patriots to churn through and they took advantage with a seven-play, 37-yard drive. Rookie kicker Andres Borregales drilled a 52-yarder with :15 remaining.

What could have been a game that opened up a three-game division lead, now suddenly finds the Bills just one game up in the AFC East. While it's only the first week of October, Allen views the loss as a missed chance for Buffalo.

"If you look at it from the paper point of view, I mean, a pretty pivotal game in terms of what we could have done with this and we didn't take advantage of our opportunity," he said.

2 — Uncharacteristic "self inflicted wounds" thwart comeback attempt

Missed chances, turnovers and a season-high 11 penalties were the main culprits in Buffalo's first home regular season loss since Nov. 2023.

Buffalo's first drive of the game on both sides of the ball was a microcosm for the rest of the night. The defense sacked Patriots QB Drake Maye on a 3rd and 7 from the New England 48-yard line for a two-yard loss to force a punt.

On the Bills opening offensive series, the timing was off on an end-around snap exchange between Allen and TE Dawson Knox, resulting in a fumble recovered by New England and a turnover charged to Allen. McDermott confirmed postgame that the intended play was for Knox to receive the handoff.

"Just a bad snap exchange," Allen added.

It was the first time this season the Bills didn't score on their opening series. The Bills fumbled on two of their first three possessions with the other being a punt after four plays.

"Didn't seem like we were into a rhythm offensively enough. And when we did, we had penalties, self inflicted wounds, and early on in the game," McDermott said.

Down 13-10 in the third quarter, the Bills had a chance to take the lead and drove all the way down to the New England 9-yard line before back to back mistakes bit them. A pass interference call against WR Khalil Shakir on a bubble screen to TE Dalton Kincaid backed the Bills to the 19. On the very next play, Allen tried to weave a ball down the middle of the field to Shakir but it was intercepted by a diving CB Jack Jones.

"They were playing man, I saw Khalil and I just left (the throw) a little inside," Allen explained.

Allen had gone all of the 2024 season and the first four games of the '25 season without committing multiple turnovers in the same game.

"We shouldn't have even been in it with three turnovers. That's just piss poor offense," Allen said.

Given how Buffalo's defense held the Patriots to without a touchdown in the first half, then got a crucial stop midway through the fourth quarter, Allen put the blame on himself and the offense for Sunday's result.

"I thought our defense played well, and they bailed us out a couple times, but just not going to win many NFL games, turning the ball over three times.

The Bills' streak of four consecutive regular season games of 30+ points also ended with the defeat.

3 — Dalton Kincaid's career game

Third-year tight end Dalton Kincaid continues to lead the way among Buffalo's pass catchers, hauling in a career-high 108 yards on six catches. He now ranks first on the team in yards and touchdowns and is second in yards among all NFL TEs

"He's beating man coverage," Allen said. "He saw a lot of it tonight. He's doing a good job of being friendly and making some plays."

Three of Kincaid's six catches came against man coverage, going for gains of 15, 20 and 20 yards.

Kincaid reflected on his performance, emphasizing that his stats are less important than the overall result.

"There's good, there's bad. We lost the game, got to watch the tape and correct it," he said.

Through five games, Kincaid is up to 279 yards receiving and three touchdowns with 14.3 yards per catch and 125 yards after the catch.