Katherine Fitzgerald weighs in with her quarter-by-quarter analysis of the Buffalo Bills' 33-21 victory over the New England Patriots.
Allen was simply sublime from start to finish in throwing for 314 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover or getting sacked.
First quarter
Lineups: Defensive tackle Star Lotulelei, tight end Tommy Sweeney and running back Matt Breida were inactive for the Bills. Left tackle Dion Dawkins was active, after he was was taken off the Reserve/Covid-19 list less than 24 hours earlier.
Defense starts strong: The Bills defense looked good early. On the Patriots’ opening drive, rookie Greg Rousseau batted a pass from quarterback Mac Jones on the second play. Then, Ed Oliver sacked Jones on third down to quickly get the Patriots offense off the field.
McKenzie's standout performance helped seal the Bills’ 33-21 win over the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. His 125 receiving yards and 11 catches were career highs.
Isaiah early: Wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie had an expanded role Sunday, and it started early. His three-yard touchdown reception on Buffalo’s opening drive put the Bills ahead. Wide receiver Jake Kumerow logged his first catch of the season on the drive, and his first since a touchdown last season against Denver.
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Went for it: Ahead of McKenzie’s touchdown, the Bills needed a little extra time to be certain of their plans on fourth-and-2 from the Patriots’ 3-yard line. They took a timeout before going for their first of four fourth down attempts.
Jay Skurski weighs in with his grades for the Buffalo Bills after 33-21 victory over the New England Patriots on Sunday at Gillette Stadium …
Second quarter
Pats cap long drive: The Bills went 13 plays on their first touchdown drive, and the Patriots followed it with a 13-play scoring drive of their own. Running back Damien Harris finished it off with a 16-yard touchdown run to tie the game.
Shake up on the O-line: Already thin on the offensive line, the Bills took another hit in the second quarter. Ike Boettger was hurt, carted off and quickly ruled out with a ruptured Achilles. Dawkins, who did not start, came in with 9:48 in the second quarter.
Pick, but nothing: A.J. Klein and Siran Neal each got a hand on a pass from Jones, but it was safety Micah Hyde who intercepted it. The Bills offense made it to the New England one-yard line before turning it over on downs.
Allen 100: Toward the end of the second quarter, Allen connected with Diggs for a 12-yard touchdown, Diggs’ ninth of the year. It put the Bills up 10, but it also was Allen’s 100th career passing touchdown.
Third quarter
Close but not quite: The Bills nearly had a touchdown twice on their opening drive of the second half. Allen and Kumerow just couldn’t connect in the end zone. A few plays later, a would-be Dawson Knox touchdown was called back for an ineligible man downfield.
Sanders returns: Wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders returned to the Bills after missing the last game with a knee injury. Both of his catches, good for 20 yards total, came on the same drive. He had a particularly big reaching catch for 11 yards on third-and-10.
Red zone adjustments: Though the Bills could not get a touchdown that opening drive, kicker Tyler Bass was good from 34 yards to extend the Buffalo lead to 20-7. At that point in the game, the Bills were 2-of-5 in the red zone. They finished 4-of-7.
Harris bookends: The Patriots’ first play of the second half was a 31-yard run by Harris. He ended the drive, too. Harris punched in a one-yard touchdown, pulling the Patriots within six points.
The Bills moved back into first place in the AFC East based on a tiebreaker (division record) and have the inside track to repeat as division champions after a 33-21 win in New England.
Fourth quarter
Singletary scores: Running back Devin Singletary had four of his 12 carries on a drive he capped with a touchdown. The two-yard run was his fourth rushing touchdown of the season, and it marked the second game in a row that he’s scored.
Harris again: Harris had his third touchdown of the day and second of the half with an eight-yard run in the fourth quarter. With that, he passed 100 rushing yards, reaching his fifth 100-yard game of the season. He finished with 103 yards on 18 carries.
Making a mark: Allen flipped a two-yard pass to Dawson Knox, and with that, Knox and Diggs have each reached nine receiving touchdowns this season. They join Eric Moulds and Peerless Price as the only Bills players to both catch 9+ touchdowns in a single season. Moulds and Price did so in 2002.
Ending it: Knox’s touchdown put the Bills up 12 with 2:30 left to play. On fourth-and-10 from the Buffalo 49, Jones threw deep, and Hyde intercepted it, effectively ending the game.
