3. Borregales Adds Three More
The Patriots offense continued to click, running an efficient two-minute attack as halftime approached. Hunter Henry caught an 18-yard pass on 3rd-and-3, while Maye added an 18-yard scramble as well.
It was enough to add on a 36-yard Andy Borregales field goal to close out the half, making it Patriots 24, Bills 7 at the break. It was one of the best first halves of the Patriots season. They piled up 177 rushing yards, while Maye completed 9-of-11 passes in a continuation of his season-long efficiency.
4. Allen, Bills Won’t Go Quietly
Buffalo wouldn’t take long in the third quarter to get back into the game. It started with a second-straight quality kickoff return for the Bills, this one went 58 yards and immediately set them up at the Patriots 44-yard line.
Allen converted the only third down that Buffalo faced with a 20-yard QB keeper run and two plays later he hit tight end Dawson Knox for a touchdown. Just over three minutes into the third quarter the Patriots lead was cut to 10 points, New England 24, Buffalo 14.
The Patriots quickly punted the ball back to the Bills on their next possession, their first three-and-out of the game, giving Allen a chance to make it a one-score game if he could orchestrate a third-straight touchdown drive. The momentum had swung in Buffalo’s favor as they continued to make a push.
It was Buffalo’s best and most sustained drive of the game to that point, as they quickly went down the field, picking up chunk yardage on plays to Josh Palmer (16 yards) and Ray Davis (13 yards). Buffalo also converted a third down thanks to a Patriots holding penalty and then finished it off with a three-yard touchdown carry by James Cook.
That marked three touchdown-scoring drives in a row for the Bills as they closed to within three points, 24-21. It was an 11-play, 65-yard drive that left the Patriots in need of an offensive response to the surging Bills.
Maye and the offense picked up two first downs but couldn’t put up another score, with back-to-back penalties backing them up into a 3rd-and-25. Maye launched a deep pass that was intercepted, but it essentially served as a solid punt, putting the Bills on their own 9-yard line. Allen converted a 3rd-and-7 with a 24-yard pass to a wide-open Dalton Kincaid just before the third quarter ended. The Patriots carried a 24-21 lead into the start of the fourth quarter with the Bills on their own 36-yard line.
That lead wouldn’t last much longer, as Allen and the Bills continued to move the ball on the Patriots defense. This drive was even longer and more sustained than their last, with Allen converting a 3rd-and-goal from the 14-yard line for another touchdown.
That gave the Bills their first lead of the game, 28-24, as New England’s defense struggled to come up with plays to get off the field. The key play of the drive came on a 4th-and-3. Allen took a deep shot to Khalil Shakir and he made the catch over cornerback Marcus Jones to set up Buffalo inside the red zone. Even a holding penalty couldn’t slow down Buffalo as they scored a touchdown for the fourth-straight drive.
