Patriots win streak snapped, Bills come back from down 21 to win in Foxboro

It was a tale of two halves for the Patriots on Sunday against the Bills, and the bad half came at the time they didn't want.

After scoring 21 unanswered points to start the game and taking a 24-7 lead to halftime, the Bills dominated the second half on both sides of the ball to overcome the deficit and earn a 35-31 win at Gillette Stadium. The loss ended a 10-game winning streak for the Patriots, dropping them to 11-3 on the season, while the Bills improved to 10-4 and suddenly find themselves within striking distance of the Pats in the AFC East.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye finished 14-for-23 passing for 155 yards, with no touchdowns and one interception. His 62.8 passer rating was his lowest of the season. Bills quarterback Josh Allen, meanwhile, went 19-for-28 for 193 yards, three TDs, and no interceptions, a 123.1 passer rating.

Despite their collapse, the Patriots struck exactly the tone they needed to start things off. Maye and the Pats offense drove 73 yards in eight plays on their opening drive, as Maye took the ball himself to the pylon for a touchdown run to put them up 7-0. Sparking the first drive was a 30-yard connection between Maye and Kayshon Boutte, a spectacular dive and full extension by the receiver.

Defensively, the Patriots forced three (POSSIBLY MORE?) straight punts to start the game, sacking Allen twice in the process. They showed strong complementary football to set up their second touchdown drive, first by pinning the Bills at their own 17-yard line with a 50-yard punt, A third-down sack by Jack Gibbens dropped them to their 12, getting the ball back in Maye's hands at the 50.

Maye then picked up 31 yards over the first two plays of the ensuing drive, and finished off the drive again with a touchdown run, this time virtually untouched up the middle to make it 14-0.

After the Bills punted for a third time to start things, the dam broke. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson got the blocks he needed at the line of scrimmage and burst through to the open field and down the sideline for a 52-yard touchdown run, his third score this season to go for 50-plus yards. The touchdown gave the Pats a 21-0 lead as the clock ticked toward halftime.

Buffalo finally found a way to answer in the closing minutes of the second quarter. Allen got set up well by a 38-yard kickoff return and a 15-yard penalty against Brenden Schooler tacked onto it. The Bills promptly drove the 42 yards they needed, powered by a 19-yard catch-and-run by tight end Dawson Knox, and Allen hit James Cook for a 5-yard touchdown pass to make it 21-7 Patriots.

The Pats made sure the Bills didn't get the ball back in the first half, while scratching out three more points of their own. After taking a deep shot to the end zone and picking up an 11-yard run, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel called timeout to stop the clock with two seconds left. Rookie kicker Andy Borregales converted from 36 yards out to put his team up 24-7 at halftime.

Buffalo managed to make the game interesting early in the third quarter, as they received the ball to begin the second half. Kick returner Ray Davis, who burned the Patriots throughout the day, returned it 58 yards, then Allen and the Bills offense did the rest. Allen capped the drive with a touchdown pass to Knox, cutting the Pats' lead to 24-14. The Patriots couldn't answer, as the Bills defense forced a three-and-out, putting momentum firmly on their side.

And they kept that momentum going, leading a touchdown drive for the third straight possession. Running back James Cook lunged at the goal line for a 3-yard touchdown, which the officials ruled upon replay review, to make it a 24-21 game. And with a chance to respond, the Patriots offense stumbled yet again, committing three penalties. Maye effectively made a long punt with a deep ball attempt on third-and-25, which Bills cornerback Tre'Davious White tracked and picked off before going out of bounds at his own 9-yard line.

The Patriots defense forced the Bills into a fourth-and-3 situation, but Allen delivered a big-time play with a 37-yard completion to receiver Khalil Shakir, which set up first-and-goal from the Patriots 8-yard line. A holding penalty nullified an Allen touchdown run, but on third-and-14, Allen came up with another big-time play. The quarterback bought time in the pocket before delivering a strike to Knox in the end zone, finally giving the Bills their first lead of the game at 28-24.

However, the Pats would have a quick and emphatic answer to put their third-quarter offensive struggles behind them. Henderson broke off another long touchdown run, this time for 65 yards, as he worked his way back across the opposite end of the field and outran everyone to the end zone. That put the Patriots back on top, 31-28.

Unfortunately, the defense couldn't put their third-quarter issues behind them. A pass interference penalty on Carlton Davis III gifted the Bills 15 yards, then Cook ripped off 20 yards over two plays to score another touchdown, putting the Bills back on top at 35-31.

After allowing five straight touchdowns, the Patriots defense finally got a stop with just 2:54 left in regulation, putting Maye in position to engineer a late go-ahead drive. Instead, forced into a fourth-and-5 situation, Maye escaped the pocket but Joey Bosa tipped his pass attempt, making it a turnover on downs. That's how the game would ultimately end.

Up Next: The Patriots will look to bounce back in Week 16 on the road, when they head to Baltimore to take on the Ravens.