Bills Reignite AFC East Chase After 21-0 Comeback Against Patriots

Every December that Hallmark has produced an NFL-centered romance – “Holiday Touchdown: A [Place Contender Here] Love Story” – the muse has advanced to the Super Bowl.

The Kansas City Chiefs started the tongue-in-cheek trend in 2024, and with three straight wins capped by Sunday’s riveting comeback at AFC East-leading New England, the Buffalo Bills could well continue it.

Perhaps even with an unexpected playoff home game or two at Highmark Stadium along the way.

Buffalo stormed back from a 21-0 deficit to defeat the Patriots 35-31, temporarily spoiling New England’s bid to end the Bills’ streak of five straight division titles. Buffalo moved to 10-4 while New England fell to 11-3. Game and AFC East race back on.

“It’s just a message for us,” Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White said. “We could pretty much go through anything and come out and win.”

Add to that list a foe’s premature posturing. With New England in early command, rapper Travis Scott whooped it up alongside Patriots owner Robert Kraft in the bigwig’s box while wideout Stefon Diggs got the crowd stirring.

A new coronation was afoot until it wasn’t.

Bills quarterback Josh Allen, one of several Bills to appear in the Hallmark flick and the spouse of someone with true acting chops, steered the team to touchdowns on five straight possessions spanning the second and fourth quarters.

The defense, meanwhile, regrouped enough while limiting Patriots quarterback Drake Maye to under 200 passing yards for the first time this season.

"I just don't think there's any quit in this team," Buffalo defensive end Joey Bosa said. "We've proved that a few games this year, that you just have to keep fighting. When we have a guy like Josh back there with the ball in his hands, anything is possible. So as a defense, we just needed to make a few stops, and we came out hungry in the second half to prove that we could do that."

Scott, Kraft and the Patriots faithful surely shouted about the fight in their own team when TreVeyon Henderson reeled off a go-ahead 65-yard scoring run with 9:49 to play.

But Allen – who with actress wife Hailee Steinfeld recently announced on Instagram that the couple was expecting their first child – got the ball back. Seven plays, 65 yards and 3:01 later, Allen and Co. showed the Patriots they weren’t the Bills’ divisional daddies just yet.

“This definitely can be a kick in the butt,” New England tight end Hunter Henry said. “We’ve kind of had things go our way and everyone kind of go our way the last 10, 11 weeks. This is a reality check. That’s a good football team. We went toe-to-toe with them in every aspect, but you got to give them credit. We’ve got to get a lot better from this. Fast.”

New England visits resurgent Baltimore in Week 16 while the Bills go to stumbling Cleveland.

Buffalo is 3-2 in the AFC East compared to 3-1 for the Patriots, who close the regular season with a visit to the New York Jets and a home game against the Miami Dolphins. The Bills host the Jets in the season finale.

While the AFC East could boil down to a tiebreaker – it’s record in common games after overall and division records – Sunday undoubtedly was a backbreaker for New England.

It could be temporary – as with Hallmark fame – or it might just mark the catalyst in a storybook Bills finish.

"Our goal is not just to win the AFC East," Allen said. "You've got to get into the playoffs to give yourself a chance to win a Super Bowl. So, that's what we're trying to do."