Josh Allen’s late-game interception by Craig Woodson sealed the Buffalo Bills’ fate in a brutal 29-26 loss to the New England Patriots. With under a minute left on the clock, Buffalo never got the ball back, ending their chances of a comeback. This one stings hard, especially after such a hot start to the season.
Allen’s Regret and the First Loss at Highmark
Picture this: second-and-6 at the Buffalo 40. Allen spins out of a Dre’Mont Jones sack attempt, adrenalin pumping, and then heaves the ball deep down the left sideline right into double coverage. Boom, picked off. Allen admitted later, “They went man, made a guy miss, (I) threw one up, and should have thrown that one out of bounds and live another day.” He even noted they were already within 20 yards of field-goal range. Talk about a gut punch. This loss drops the Bills to 3-1, marking their first defeat at their new Highmark Stadium and the first under rookie coach Joe Brady. And guess who’s suddenly breathing down their necks? The division rival Patriots are now 2-2, just one game out of first place. Allen put it simply, “These ones sting. Got to find a way to learn from this and move it to the back of our brain, learn from it and move on.”
The Turnover Epidemic and Brady’s Accountability
What happened to that crisp offense we saw earlier? After combining for 77 points and 855 yards in their first two turnover-free wins, the Bills’ offense just isn’t looking as sharp. They were already coming off a five-turnover outing in a 24-16 win against the Chargers last week, and then they coughed it up two more times against New England, including receiver Khalil Shakir losing a fumble. Allen himself has combined for three interceptions and a lost fumble in his past two outings, after starting the season with zero turnovers. His career stats tell a story: he’s 42-7 when he doesn’t turn over the ball, but his record drops to 49-33 when he does. Head Coach Joe Brady stepped up, taking the blame for the late-game play call. “In those moments, I’ve got to be better. Everybody on the field has to be better in that situation,” Brady said. He added, “There wasn’t a second during that drive I didn’t think we were going to go down, and much less kick a field goal, than to score a touchdown. We obviously didn’t get it done.” That’s real talk from a coach owning the moment.
Looking Ahead: West Coast Swing and Mounting Injuries
Despite the tough loss, there were still some highlights. Allen powered in for a 2-yard run, his 88th career touchdown from scrimmage, setting a new team record, passing Hall of Famers Thurman Thomas and Andre Reed. He also connected with Keon Coleman for a 34-yard touchdown pass. Coleman had a solid day with six catches for 116 yards, his second-best total in his three-year career. But the Bills are facing more than just a tough loss; injuries are starting to pile up. Receiver DJ Moore (shoulder) and defensive tackle Ed Oliver (knee) were sidelined on Sunday, and top cornerback Christian Benford is nursing a toe injury. The Bills now hit the road for a two-game West Coast swing, starting with a “Monday Night Football” matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. It’s a chance to learn from the mistakes, rally the troops, and get back to that sharp, turnover-free football that started their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Fox Sports.
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