Bills vs Patriots: Stock up/down from Buffalo’s Week 4 loss

The Buffalo Bills lost to the New England Patriots at home on Sunday, 29-26, and now sit at 3-1 on the season.

The Bills offense struggled to get much going through the air or on the ground in this contest. On the defensive side of the ball, they continued their struggles, allowing Drake Maye and the New England offense to move at will.

Below is my stock up and down from Week 4:

Stock up

WR Keon Coleman

Bills receiver Keon Coleman stepped up big with DJ Moore going down with his continued shoulder injury. Coleman was targeted seven times by Allen and caught six of those targets for 115 yards and a touchdown.

He is starting to be a big piece of the Bills offense without Moore in the mix. He has been doubted his first two seasons in Buffalo but is now starting to make big plays for the offense. Coleman, through four weeks, now has 13 receptions for 216 yards and a touchdown.

RB James Cook

James Cook continues to be the most dominant player on the field for the Bills offense. Cook finished with just 12 carries for 83 yards and a touchdown. The ball needed to be in his hands more to win this football game, and they failed to do that.

When James Cooks, everyone eats. Today he ate, but not enough.

WR Khalil Shakir

Aside from Coleman, Shakir had a good day, leading the Bills in receptions, hauling in seven of his eight targets for 82 yards. Shakir was Allen’s number one target in the first half as they got things moving through the air. He did have an almost-costly fumble ahead of the first half but got saved following a Dee Alford pick.

NCB Dee Alford

The Bills secondary was lackluster to say the least, but nickel cornerback Dee Alford made a great play at the end of the first half following Shakir’s fumble. Maye threw one to Romeo Doubs which bounced out of his hands and Alford was in position to grab the pick, returning it 37 yards to New England’s nine-yard line which set up a Bass field goal.

Alford later went down in the third quarter with an ankle injury, and with backup nickel Te’Cory Couch leaving earlier with a hamstring injury, safety Damar Hamlin was forced to fill the role.

OLB Greg Rousseau

Greg Rousseau has made the stock up list once again because he has continued his dominance through the first four weeks. Despite the loss, Rousseau finished with four tackles, two pass deflections, and four hits on Maye.

K Tyler Bass

I noticed that I have failed to mention Tyler Bass in these weekly stock up and down articles, and he deserves a lot of credit. Bass, through four weeks, has made six of his six field goal attempts, including two for two today, and 11 of his 12 extra point attempts.

Stock down

CB Maxwell Hairston

The Bills came into this game without starting cornerback Christian Benford, putting Maxwell Hairston in the CB1 position. Hairston was matched up with receiver Romeo Doubs for almost the entire game and struggled immensely.

Hairston played 71 defensive snaps for the Bills against New England and allowed four receptions for 44 yards and two touchdowns. The effort was not there, and it showed.

Postgame, Hairston reportedly refused a locker interview following the performance. Not a great look for the young first-round pick in just his second season.

QB Josh Allen

The struggles continued for Josh Allen and the Bills offense at home this week. Allen and the offense started with the ball first and came out slow. Allen finished 23/33 for 253 yards, a touchdown, and a game-ending interception.

The box score only tells so much of the game, the final interception was a costly and ill-advised throw that ended it for Buffalo.

TE Dalton Kincaid

Dalton Kincaid has been one of Allen’s primary targets through the first three weeks, but the connection had an issue this week. Whether it was the play calling or lack of getting open, Kincaid only had one reception today for seven yards. Not enough to get it done against a divisional opponent.

HC Joe Brady

Joe Brady started the season with the Bills 3-0 and took a three-point loss at home to fall to 3-1. Buffalo seemed out of it today, the offense was not moving how they were in the first two weeks and have faltered at home.

This is now Brady’s first loss as an NFL head coach and will have to get his guys back on track for a Monday night game on the road against the Rams.

Pressure

The Bills only had one sack all day, while Maye had time in the pocket to connect downfield and scrambled for a team leading 54 rushing yards on eight carries. Buffalo’s one sack was split between Ed Oliver and rookie T.J. Parker in the second quarter, which was a strip sack recovered by Greg Gaines.

The defensive line had the biggest drop off today aside from the secondary, the lack of pressure gave Maye and the offense time to work.

Turnovers (again)

Simply put, the Bills two turnovers were costly. Buffalo was driving at the end of the first half before Shakir fumbled, and with a minute to go in the fourth, Allen’s pick into double coverage sealed the game for New England.

Injuries