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Game Recap

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Patriots 23, Bills 16 | Final score, stats to know + game highlights | Week 18

New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills, Regular Season, January 05, 2025 at Gillette Stadium.
New England Patriots vs Buffalo Bills, Regular Season, January 05, 2025 at Gillette Stadium.

Location: Gillette Stadium

Final score: Bills 16, Patriots 23

Records: Bills (13-4), Patriots (4-13)

Next opponent: Bills vs Broncos at 1 pm on CBS in the Wild Card round of the NFL playoffs

The Buffalo Bills ended their regular season with a 23-16 loss to the New England Patriots.

QB Josh Allen started the game and played one snap before QB Mitchell Trubisky took over. Trubisky played most of the game, completing 15-of-21 passes for 101 yards and 1 touchdown. RB Ray Davis led the ground game with 64 yards and hauled in a receiving touchdown while RB James Cook had the lone rushing touchdown of the day.

On defense DE Von Miller had the only sack for the defense and DE Javon Solomon had the lone takeaway of the day, recovering a fumble. LB Joe Andreessen, who started the game, led the defense in tackles with nine tackles.

💵1. Three-and-out

The Bills won the opening toss and deferred to the second half, giving the Patriots the opening possession. The possession did not last long however, as on third down DE Von Miller sacked QB Drake Maye to force the early three-and-out.

🏈🏈2. Matching touchdowns

On the Patriots second drive of the game, QB Joe Milton subbed into the game and led the Patriots down the field for the first touchdown of the game.

QB Mitchell Trubisky took the next Bills drive to match for a touchdown. Trubisky found WR Mack Hollins twice for 24 yards on the drive and ended the drive with a short pass to RB Ray Davis for the touchdown to tie the game at 7-7.

📊3. Patriots take the lead

The Patriots took the lead after the Bills tied the game on a five-play, 70-yard drive. Milton scored the touchdown by throwing a 48-yard deep pass to WR Kayshon Boutte and scored the touchdown.

The Bills offense came back on the field and scored a 49-yard field goal to bring the score to 14-10.

👨‍🍳4. Tying History

The Patriots received their first possession of the second half after the Bills punted the football. CB Ja'Marcus Ingram kept the ball from being a touchback and LS Reid Ferguson downed the football at the Patriots' 6-yard line.

On their second play, Milton fumbled the football on the handoff to RB Antonio Gibson and DE Javon Solomon landed on top of the football, giving the Bills the football.

RB James Cook received the goal line carry to score the touchdown and tied the franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a season with 16 and brought the score to 16-14. K Tyler Bass missed the extra point and the score remained 16-14.

💪5. QB Change

With one-minute remaining in the third quarter, the Bills made their second quarterback change and QB Mike White checked into the game. White completed one pass for 14 yards on his first drive before the Bills punted the football.

Check out the best photos from Sunday's game between the Bills and the Patriots. This gallery is presented by Gabe's Collision.

🤨6. Patriots extend their lead

After the Bills punted the football, the Patriots took their next drive to extend their lead to four points. Milton and the Patriots drove down the field and scored a field goal from 42 yards.

Milton found Boutte for a 21-yard reception that set the Patriots up at the Bills 9-yard line. Penalties forced the Patriots back to the 24-yard line and they had to settle for the three points to bring the score to 20-16.

🏈7. End game

The Patriots scored another field goal to extend their lead to 23-16.

The Bills received the ball with one more opportunity to score, but White threw four straight incompletions. The Patriots took over on the turnover-on-downs and were able to run out the clock, securing their victory.

Lineup Notes: QB Mike White made his Bills debut; OL Tylan Grable made his 2024 Bills debut; OL Alec Anderson made his first career start; LB Joe Andreessen started his first career game; LB Edefuan Ulofoshio started his first career game.

🔑Key Stats and Facts:

  • Von Miller now has 129.5 career sacks. With another half sack he would become the 16th player (since sacks were first tracked for individual players in 1982) to reach 130 career sacks.
  • James Cook now has his second career 1,000-yard rushing season – first Bills player to achieve the feat in consecutive seasons since LeSean McCoy in 2016-2017.
  • The Bills are the first team in NFL history with 30+ passing touchdowns and 30+ rushing touchdowns in the same season.
  • Keon Coleman now has a reception of at least 10 yards in 11 straight games. No other Buffalo rookie this century has a had a streak longer than 9 consecutive games with a 10+ yard grab.
  • Today is the Bills' 6th game of the season with 6 or more players recording a TFL. Only Cleveland (8) will finish this season with more such games.
  • Ray Davis now has 100 carries in his first NFL season, he's the first Buffalo rookie with 100+ carries in a season since Zack Moss in 2020.
  • James Cook has tied OJ Simpson for the most rushing touchdowns in a season in franchise history (16).
  • Damar Hamlin now has 61 solo tackles this season, passing his career high of 60 set in 2022.
  • Curtis Samuel became the 9th Bills' player with 250+ receiving yards this season. Buffalo never previously had more than 7 players with 250+ receiving yards in a single season all-time.

🏈Scoring Plays:

04:28 1Q | BUF 0 NE 7 | Joe Milton left end for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

12:14 2Q | BUF 7 NE 7 | Mitchell Trubisky pass short right to Ray Davis for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

9:22 2Q | BUF 7 NE 14 | Joe Milton pass deep middle to Kayshon Boutte for 48 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

4:43 2Q | BUF 10 NE 14 | Tyler Bass 49-yard field goal is GOOD.

7:59 3Q | BUF 16 NE 14 | James Cook up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. Tyler Bass extra point is No Good, Wide Right.

1:04 3Q | BUF 16 NE 17 | Joey Slye 41-yard field goal is GOOD.

8:57 4Q | BUF 16 NE 20 | Joey Slye 42-yard field goal is GOOD.

02:00 4Q | BUF 16 NE 23 | Joey Slye 50-yard field goal is GOOD.

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