Plays That Defined 2023: Bills at Patriots, Week 7

Buffalo Bills v New England Patriots — Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Not the outcome we wanted

The Buffalo Bills’ 2023 season is in the books but there’s one little thing missing. Illustrations. Let’s pretend last year is an actual book, with each game a chapter. It’s up to us to find one play or “illustration” that best shows us the theme of that chapter.

Make sense? I hope so because we’re about to take a look at some plays and vote. Remember, it’s not necessarily the best play we want, it’s the one that best illustrates...

Chapter 7: Buffalo Bills at New England Patriots

For the second week in a row, the Buffalo Bills were facing a one-win team. This round pitted them against the usually non-threatening Mac Jones. Perhaps tired after a preposterously lopsided time of possession in London and shutting down the New York Giants, Buffalo’s defense allowed the highest point total of the season for New England.

A slow start on offense left the Bills playing catch up. To their credit they did, even pulling ahead briefly late in the game. Which of course led to a game-winning Mac Jones drive. Yuk.

Josh Allen’s first play of the day: Interception (Q1; 9:55)

Let’s get this 100% straight: This play is not a knock on Josh Allen or the offense. They put up 25 points, Allen was pretty steady, and the two turnovers weren’t part of a pattern. That said, this play set the tone for a day of miscues with the turnover on Buffalo’s first play of their first possession. Also, peep that tackle by tight end Dalton Kincaid. That’s pretty fun.

New England field goal No. 2 (Q2; 7:39)

New England’s performance was hardly dominant. They were, however, “steady.” Six scores on nine possessions was drastically higher than their season rate. And no one allowed more points to New England than Buffalo did in this game. The steady drip, drip, drip of points was infuriating from a team that had been stingy allowing scores to that point. Are you ready for a shocking stat? Only the Philadelphia Eagles scored more against Buffalo than the Pats in this game.

Incomplete pass (Q4; 13:51)

Head coach Sean McDermott has been far more likely to go for it on fourth down in the last couple seasons with some recently acquired aggressive tendencies. Buffalo went for it on fourth three times this game. Out of desperation though, not aggression. To be fair to the Bills, they converted two of the three. The first one was earlier during this drive, which means that early success amounted to naught (as did this one). To lose to the Patriots, Buffalo needed a laundry list of mistakes.

Mac Jones’ game-winner (Q4; 0:15)

With 1:58 left in the fourth quarter, the Buffalo Bills had finally taken the lead. All they needed to do was not allow a touchdown. That’s it. What did they do? They allowed a touchdown. Let me reword this. The Bills’ vaunted defense allowed a Mac Jones-led Patriots offense to orchestrate an eight-play drive that chewed up 1:46 of clock and ended in the go-ahead touchdown.

Last gasp (Q4; 0:05)

Now the turnover here is hardly relevant. What is super relevant though is that the Bills were put in a position where a Hail Mary was the best chance for a miracle win. A Hail Mary with perhaps the strongest-armed quarterback in the league. There was never a throw with Allen bailing and trying to make something happen with his legs.