Foxborough, Mass. — Buffalo Bills linebacker Matt Milano barely ever speaks to the media.
Milano’s interviews, once sporadic and intermittent, have almost all but disappeared in his ninth NFL season.
But after his two-sack performance to help the Bills pull off a dramatic comeback victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday, Milano stopped to discuss the game. The interview lasted 45 seconds.
“It’s a full game,” he said. “Just gotta keep playing. One play at a time. Keep it moving.”
Milano isn’t kidding.
The Bills were down 21 points after getting punched in the mouth by second-year quarterback Drake Maye, who ran for touchdowns on New England’s first two drives.
That was the apex of Maye’s performance.
Maye finished with 155 passing yards and completed just 60% of his throws. That’s the second-lowest completion percentage in a game this season for Maye, who entered the game as the NFL’s leader in completion rate.
Against Maye, Milano was a menace. He sacked the Patriots’ quarterback twice while leading the team with a career-high 10 tackles (two for a loss) and a forced fumble in a vintage performance.
Bills quarterback Josh Allen said Milano made a couple big-time plays for Buffalo’s defense.
“That’s the Matt Milano we all know and love,” he said.
The past few seasons have been a slog for the oft-injured Bills linebacker. Every time it seems like he’s built some momentum, an injury has inevitably rocked him off his course. Milano has missed games this season due to a nagging pectoral injury. A torn bicep cost him most of the 2024 season, and a fractured leg ended his season in 2023.
Many fans have wondered if the best of Milano is in the past but he looks to be finally rekindling his All Pro production in time for the final Bills playoff push.
Bills coach Sean McDermott said after the game that he could feel Milano on the field because of his big-time plays.
“Yeah, he was vibing out there,” McDermott said. “You probably felt him up in the box. Two sacks. Bobby (Babich) made those two calls and Matt cashed in. It was good to see. He’s been working his tail off to get himself back to where he was today. So I credit him and all the training staff and everything.”
Milano, a man of very few words, stayed on brand after the Bills’ big win to bring them to 10-4 on the season. He answered a total of four questions. Here are the rest of his answers:
Reporter: What worked better in the second half?
“We just kept playing,” he said. “Nothing too much. Made some plays when we needed to make plays. And finished the game.”
Reporter: How did it feel personally to finish with two sacks?
“Yeah, it was cool,” he said. “Just trying to work. Not a big accolade guy, but just trying to help the team win.”
Reporter: What was it like watching the comeback happen?
“I don’t really ride the wave of the game,” he said. “I just stay in it one play at a time.”
Milano’s impact came in a game where the Bills were without their star cornerback Christian Benford, who injured his toe in practice on Thursday. Benford had game-changing plays in the last two Bills wins and Buffalo needed someone else to step up to help get things right after the Patriots went out to a 21-0 lead early.
Milano answered the call.
The win tied for the largest comeback road victory in Bills franchise history.
