Patriots Blow Biggest Lead In 14 Years During Week 15 Loss To Bills

The New England Patriots squandered an opportunity to clinch the AFC East with Sunday’s 35-31 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

New England jumped to a 21-0 lead in the second quarter and went into halftime up 24-7. The late slide represented one of the team’s biggest blown leads in franchise history.

Josh Dubow of the Associated Press noted that the Patriots had won their last 72 games when leading by at least 21 points. They hadn’t lost after leading by that much since a 2011 game against Buffalo.

New England now has a 203-4 all-time record with a 21-point lead.

The Patriots scored touchdowns on three of their first four drives, tallying 208 yards behind a sizzling ground game on a snowy day at Gillette Stadium. Yet the wheels fell off with Josh Allen leading Buffalo to five consecutive touchdowns.

The Patriots somehow lost a game in which they averaged 7.5 yards per play with 246 rushing yards. Mike Vrabel’s team got called for seven penalties, and some fans may feel that Tre’Davious White got away with pass interference when picking off Drake Maye late in the third quarter.

Although they missed a chance to clinch their first division title since 2019, the Patriots remain one game ahead of the Bills after splitting their two meetings. However, New England can’t secure the AFC East crown in Week 16.

The Patriots will look to rebound against the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday night before concluding the season against the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins.