Bills vs Patriots: Good and bad from Buffalo’s regular season finale 

The Buffalo Bills lost their regular season finale to the New England Patriots 23-16 on the road at Gillette Stadium in Week 18.

They had already cliched the number two seed in the AFC, so they had nothing to gain or lose in this game. Josh Allen went into the game for one play to retain his consecutive start streak and came out after handing the ball off to James Cook. Mitchell Trubisky came in and played the majority of the game before late in the third quarter when quarterback Mike White came in and played the remainder of the game.  

They end the regular season with a 13-4 record, including a perfect 8-0 at home. They will now look to get fully healthy and ready to go against the Denver Broncos in the wild card round.

The Good  

Patriots lose first pick in 2025 Draft  

The Patriots hurt themselves by beating the Bills in this game. The Patriots would have had the number one overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft if they had lost this game, yet they won and now will pick at number four overall. This is good for Buffalo, being that New England are the Bills’ divisional rival and any little advantage that the Bills could have over them helps. The Patriots will still have a good spot in the draft, yet they will not have first dibs on what rookie they want to take.  

James Cook  

James Cook is officially in the Buffalo Bills record book for most rushing touchdowns in a single season. Cook did not play a lot in this game, finishing with only 28 rushing yards on 10 carries. But, he got into the end zone for a rushing touchdown which tied the record for most rushing touchdowns by a Buffalo Bills running back in a single season (16). Cook now shares this record with all-time great running back O.J. Simpson.  

Javon Solomon  

Bills defensive end Javon Solomon had a great day for himself leading the team in total tackles with four total. Solomon finished with a tackle for loss along with a quarterback hit and a fumble recovery. Solomon is in his first season with Buffalo and will only look to improve going forward as veterans may leave and younger guys are forced to step up.

The Bad  

Containing Joe Milton III  

The Bills defense could not contain rookie quarterback Joe Milton III, allowing him to run and pass all over the field. Milton finished 22/29 for 241 passing yards with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown. Milton finished with a 111.4 passer rating and had himself a great performance in New England’s win over Buffalo.  

Tyler Bass  

Bills kicker Tyler Bass has continued to be inconsistent on the field when it comes to kicks that he should make. Bass missed an extra point after a James Cook rushing touchdown that kept the Patriots within two points, 16-14, meaning New England only needed a field goal to take the lead, which they did. This miss was not the overall deciding factor for Buffalo, yet misses like these are what could cost the Bills a big game in the playoffs. Bass will look to be more consistent going forward and lean on his ability.