ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The bitter 23-20 loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday night not only ended the Buffalo Bills’ undefeated streak but also featured a catastrophic offensive performance that even star Quarterback Josh Allen couldn’t stomach.
Speaking after the game, Allen delivered a blunt and scathing critique of his own team’s execution, particularly their lack of ball security, with one straightforward declaration: “That’s just piss poor offense.”
The Bills (4-1) essentially beat themselves, squandering an opportunity to create comfortable separation in the AFC East. Three turnovers—two committed by Allen himself—and 11 penalties ensured Buffalo couldn’t stand firm against the surging Patriots (3-2) led by rookie Quarterback Drake Maye.
“We just played sloppy,” Allen said. “You’re not gonna win a football game, turning the ball over three times… That’s just bad, bad football. We just did not play good tonight. With three turnovers, we shouldn’t have even been in it. So, again, that’s just piss poor offense.”
Critical Errors Undermine Winning Opportunity
The Bills had been among the league leaders in turnover margin in the opening weeks, but this game was a stark reversal. The giveaways came at the worst possible moments and directly led to points for the opponent:
- Opening Fumble: On the very first drive, Allen lost a fumble on a botched handoff to Tight End Dawson Knox at midfield. Fortunately, the Bills defense held the Patriots to a field goal.
- Costly Second Fumble: Rookie Wide Receiver Keon Coleman fumbled after catching a pass, handing the Patriots possession deep in Buffalo territory at the 11-yard line. The defense managed to stand tall again, limiting New England to another field goal.
- The Interception: In the third quarter, trailing 13-10 and driving deep into the Patriots’ Red Zone, Allen threw a “forced” pass intended for Khalil Shakir. Defensive back Marcus Jones jumped the route for the interception. The Patriots capitalized immediately, marching 90 yards on 11 plays to extend their lead to 20-10. Allen later called the throw a “bad ball.”
Though Allen (253 yards, 2 TDs) and the Bills managed to tie the game at 20-20 late in the fourth quarter with a field goal, the offensive errors were effectively the deciding factor. The offense stalled, forcing the field goal instead of a potential game-winning touchdown.
Maye and Patriots Shine as Bills Self-Destruct
While the Bills were busy defeating themselves, rookie Drake Maye (273 yards) demonstrated the poise of a winning QB, especially on the final drive. Maye completed a crucial 12-yard pass to Stefon Diggs—who had a standout game (10 catches, 146 yards) in his return to Buffalo—to get into field goal range. That throw set up Andy Borregales’ decisive 52-yard field goal with just 15 seconds left.
Maye’s late-game precision stood in stark contrast to the Bills’ persistent sloppiness.
Head Coach Sean McDermott echoed Allen’s harsh assessment. “You cannot turn the ball over three times and expect to win,” McDermott stated. “It wasn’t anything they did. But, again, all learning opportunities for us as a team, and that’s what we need to do.”
The Repercussions: The loss is not only a blemish on the Bills’ record but also ends their 14-game regular-season home winning streak. More concerningly, it thrusts the Bills into a tight AFC East race with the Patriots now nipping at their heels.
Josh Allen, known for shouldering the blame, this time explicitly called out the execution and ball security of the entire offensive unit. These uncharacteristically harsh comments serve as the clearest possible wake-up call for the Bills: if they have genuine Super Bowl aspirations, they must stop beating themselves with fundamental errors.
The Bills will look to clean things up in their upcoming matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. But one thing is certain: given the “piss poor offense” standard Allen has set, every move in the Bills’ locker room and on the practice field this week will be focused on drastic improvement.
