Buffalo erased a 21-0 deficit to win 35-31 at Gillette Stadium on December 14, 2025. Josh Allen completed 19 of 28 passes for 193 yards and three touchdowns. James Cook rushed for 107 yards and two touchdowns on 22 carries. For New England, TreVeyon Henderson rushed 14 times for 148 yards with two scores. Drake Maye finished 14-of-23 passing for 155 yards with one interception plus two rushing touchdowns.
Light snow fell throughout the game with temperatures at 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Attendance was 64,628.
Buffalo snapped New England’s 10-game winning streak and kept the Patriots from clinching the AFC East in Week 15.
Table of Contents
Josh Allen vs Drake Maye Quarterback Statistics
| Metric | Josh Allen (BUF) | Drake Maye (NE) |
|---|---|---|
| Completions/Attempts | 19/28 | 14/23 |
| Completion % | 67.9% | 60.9% |
| Passing Yards | 193 | 155 |
| Yards Per Attempt | 6.9 | 6.7 |
| Touchdowns | 3 | 0 |
| Interceptions | 0 | 1 |
| QBR | 80.3 | 63.6 |
| Passer Rating | 123.1 | 62.8 |
| Times Sacked | 2 | 3 |
| Sack Yards Lost | 12 | 16 |
| Rushing Attempts | 11 | 4 |
| Rushing Yards | 48 | 43 |
| Rushing Touchdowns | 0 | 2 |
Maye ran for two first-quarter touchdowns but threw an interception to Tre’Davious White in the third quarter at Buffalo’s 9-yard line.
Bills Patriots Rushing Performance Breakdown
Buffalo Bills Rushing Stats
| Player | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook | 22 | 107 | 4.9 | 2 | 12 |
| Josh Allen | 11 | 48 | 4.4 | 0 | 20 |
| Ty Johnson | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 0 | 9 |
| Team Total | 37 | 168 | 4.5 | 2 | 20 |
New England Patriots Rushing Stats
| Player | Attempts | Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TreVeyon Henderson | 14 | 148 | 10.6 | 2 | 65 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | 6 | 50 | 8.3 | 0 | 15 |
| Drake Maye | 4 | 43 | 10.8 | 2 | 17 |
| DeMario Douglas | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 |
| Team Total | 25 | 246 | 9.8 | 4 | 65 |
Henderson averaged 10.6 yards per carry, a Patriots single-game franchise record. The rookie scored on runs of 52 and 65 yards in the second and fourth quarters.
Cook reached 100 rushing yards for the eighth time through Week 15, most in the NFL. A 3-yard run in the third quarter cut New England’s lead to 24-21. An 11-yard touchdown with 6:48 remaining in the fourth quarter gave Buffalo the final margin at 35-31.
According to Patriots.com, New England’s 246 rushing yards marked a season high and the franchise’s most since gaining 250 against Las Vegas in September 2020. The Patriots’ 9.8 yards per rush attempt broke the franchise record.
Bills Patriots Receiving Statistics
Buffalo Bills Receiving Leaders
| Player | Position | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 5 | 5 | 65 | 13.0 | 0 | 37 |
| Dawson Knox | TE | 3 | 4 | 37 | 12.3 | 2 | 19 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 3 | 4 | 34 | 11.3 | 0 | 24 |
| Joshua Palmer | WR | 1 | 2 | 16 | 16.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Ty Johnson | RB | 3 | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 0 | 12 |
| Ray Davis | RB | 1 | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 0 | 13 |
| Jackson Hawes | TE | 1 | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 |
| James Cook | RB | 2 | 3 | 4 | 2.0 | 1 | 5 |
New England Patriots Receiving Leaders
| Player | Position | Receptions | Targets | Yards | Average | Touchdowns | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mack Hollins | WR | 4 | 8 | 41 | 10.3 | 0 | 18 |
| Kayshon Boutte | WR | 1 | 1 | 30 | 30.0 | 0 | 30 |
| Rhamondre Stevenson | RB | 3 | 3 | 27 | 9.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Stefon Diggs | WR | 3 | 4 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 16 |
| Hunter Henry | TE | 1 | 3 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | RB | 2 | 3 | 13 | 6.5 | 0 | 7 |
Knox caught three passes for 37 yards with two touchdowns. Allen found him for 4 yards in the third quarter to make it 24-14. Allen connected with Knox again for 14 yards in the fourth quarter to give Buffalo the lead at 28-24 with 13:14 left. Knox surpassed Pete Metzelaars with 26 career touchdown receptions, the most by a tight end in Bills franchise history.
“Dawson Knox, what a week, holy smokes,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said after the game. “Having a new baby, he and his wife, congratulations to them, and then two touchdowns today.”
Shakir caught all five targets for 65 yards. Allen threw him a 37-yard pass on fourth-and-three in the fourth quarter to extend the drive that ended with Knox’s go-ahead score.
Bills Patriots Defensive Statistics
Buffalo Bills Defense
| Player | Position | Total Tackles | Solo | Assists | Sacks | TFL | Pass Deflections | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matt Milano | LB | 10 | 9 | 1 | 2.0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Taron Johnson | CB | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cole Bishop | S | 5 | 2 | 3 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Poyer | S | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Lewis | CB | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shaq Thompson | LB | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | DE | 3 | 1 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Tre’Davious White | CB | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
New England Patriots Defense
| Player | Position | Total Tackles | Solo | Assists | Sacks | TFL | Pass Deflections | QB Hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaylinn Hawkins | S | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Marcus Jones | CB | 10 | 8 | 2 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jack Gibbens | LB | 9 | 4 | 5 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Christian Elliss | LB | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | S | 7 | 3 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 5 | 1 | 4 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Carlton Davis III | CB | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Cory Durden | DT | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Harold Landry III | LB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Milano had 10 tackles and two sacks in his first career multi-sack game. White intercepted Maye in the third quarter when New England led 24-14. Buffalo drove 91 yards to take the lead at 28-24 in the fourth quarter.
Joey Bosa batted down Maye’s pass on fourth-and-five from the Patriots’ 22-yard line with 2:43 left to end New England’s final possession.
Bills Patriots Special Teams Statistics
Kick and Punt Returns
| Team | Player | Type | Number | Yards | Average | Long | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Ray Davis | Kickoff | 4 | 164 | 41.0 | 58 | 0 |
| New England | Kyle Williams | Kickoff | 4 | 97 | 24.3 | 26 | 0 |
| Buffalo | Khalil Shakir | Punt | 1 | 12 | 12.0 | 12 | 0 |
| New England | Marcus Jones | Punt | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 3 | 0 |
Kicking Game Statistics
| Team | Kicker | FG Made/Att | FG % | Long | XP Made/Att | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Matt Prater | 0/0 | 0.0% | 0 | 5/5 | 5 |
| New England | Andy Borregales | 1/1 | 100% | 36 | 4/4 | 7 |
Punting Statistics
| Team | Punter | Number | Yards | Average | Inside 20 | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buffalo | Mitch Wishnowsky | 4 | 162 | 40.5 | 3 | 50 |
| New England | Bryce Baringer | 3 | 163 | 54.3 | 1 | 62 |
Davis returned the opening kickoff of the second half 58 yards to New England’s 44-yard line. According to Bills PR, Davis’ three kickoff returns of 35-plus yards tied the most by a Bills player in a single game since 1991.
Bills Patriots Team Stats Comparison
| Category | Buffalo Bills | New England Patriots |
|---|---|---|
| Total Plays | 67 | 51 |
| Total Yards | 350 | 386 |
| Yards Per Play | 5.2 | 7.6 |
| First Downs | 22 | 19 |
| Passing First Downs | 11 | 6 |
| Rushing First Downs | 9 | 13 |
| Penalty First Downs | 2 | 0 |
| Third Down Efficiency | 8/14 (57%) | 5/10 (50%) |
| Fourth Down Efficiency | 1/1 (100%) | 0/1 (0%) |
| Red Zone Efficiency | 5/6 (83%) | 2/3 (67%) |
| Time of Possession | 35:21 | 24:39 |
| Total Penalties | 2 | 7 |
| Penalty Yards | 15 | 65 |
| Turnovers | 0 | 1 |
| Fumbles Lost | 0 | 0 |
| Interceptions Thrown | 0 | 1 |
Buffalo held the ball for 35:21 compared to New England’s 24:39. The Bills scored touchdowns on five of six red zone possessions. New England scored touchdowns on two of three red zone drives and kicked a 36-yard field goal on the third.
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Bills Patriots Week 15 Scoring Breakdown
| Quarter | Time | Scoring Play | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 7:42 | NE – Maye 8 yd run (Borregales kick) | NE 7-0 |
| 1st | 2:18 | NE – Maye 7 yd run (Borregales kick) | NE 14-0 |
| 2nd | 10:07 | NE – Henderson 52 yd run (Borregales kick) | NE 21-0 |
| 2nd | 2:43 | BUF – Cook 5 yd pass from Allen (Prater kick) | NE 21-7 |
| 2nd | 0:43 | NE – Borregales 36 yd FG | NE 24-7 |
| 3rd | 11:49 | BUF – Knox 4 yd pass from Allen (Prater kick) | NE 24-14 |
| 3rd | 6:21 | BUF – Cook 3 yd run (Prater kick) | NE 24-21 |
| 4th | 13:14 | BUF – Knox 14 yd pass from Allen (Prater kick) | BUF 28-24 |
| 4th | 13:00 | NE – Henderson 65 yd run (Borregales kick) | NE 31-28 |
| 4th | 6:48 | BUF – Cook 11 yd run (Prater kick) | BUF 35-31 |
Bills Patriots Records and Milestones
Henderson’s four rushing touchdowns of 50-plus yards this season tied the NFL record for most by a rookie with Saquon Barkley (2018 Giants) and Lenny Moore (1956 Baltimore Colts). Only Chris Johnson (2009 Tennessee) and Jim Brown (1963 Cleveland) had more 50-yard rushing touchdowns in a single season with five each.
Allen became the fourth player in NFL history with 35 or more offensive touchdowns in six straight seasons, joining Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and Peyton Manning.
Cook reached 4,000 career rushing yards, the sixth running back in Bills history to reach that mark.
Buffalo’s comeback from 21-0 down matched the second-largest in franchise regular season history. The Bills won three games in 2025 after trailing by double digits in the second half: Baltimore (down 15 points in the fourth quarter in Week 1), Cincinnati (down 10 in Week 14), and New England (down 21 in Week 15).
New England’s 120-game home winning streak when holding a 17-point lead ended. According to Sports Illustrated, the Patriots last lost at home after building such a large advantage in 1978 against Houston.
Regular Season Final Results
New England won all three games following this loss to finish 14-3. The Patriots beat Baltimore 28-24 on the road in Week 16, then crushed the Jets 42-10 in Week 17. They closed the regular season with a 38-10 victory over Miami in Week 18. New England clinched the AFC East title and earned the two seed in the AFC playoffs.
Buffalo split their final three games to finish 12-5. The Bills won at Cleveland 23-20 in Week 16 but lost at home to Philadelphia 12-13 in Week 17. Buffalo rebounded with a 35-8 rout of the Jets in Week 18 to lock up the six seed as a wild card.
Both teams won their wild card playoff games on January 11, 2026. Buffalo beat Jacksonville 27-24 while New England defeated the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3.
