ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — They called it a celebration.
Of recovery, of life, of a player, teammate, son and brother once feared lost in the franchise’s darkest hour.
Ten minutes before kickoff Sunday, the Bills honored the members of their medical staff who resuscitated Damar Hamlin back to life. Three minutes later, players stormed the field with flags bearing Hamlin’s name. Five minutes after that, more than 70,000 fans stood in unison and raised three fingers toward a graying sky, tributes to Hamlin’s No. 3 jersey.
At last, kickoff arrived, and the Bills needed one play to get the party started.
Buffalo’s Nyheim Hines scored a 97-yard kick return touchdown on the opening play of a storybook 35-23 Bills win that doubled as a nightmarish end to a miserable Patriots season. Hines scored a second kick return touchdown in the third quarter, and Bills quarterback Josh Allen went 19-of-31 for 254 yards, three touchdowns and a pick. The Patriots’ loss, combined with an earlier Steelers win over Cleveland, eliminated them from playoff contention.
The Patriots (8-9) have now suffered two losing seasons in the last three years and haven’t won a playoff game since Feb. 2019. Quarterback Mac Jones played one of his better games, finishing 26-of-40 for 243 yards and three touchdowns, though his three second-half interceptions, including two fired in desperation, undercut the Pats’ comeback efforts.
After Hines’ opening onslaught, the Patriots punted and forced Buffalo (12-4) to return the favor. Jones settled in on his next series with three play-action completions, an unusually high number for an offense that entered having called the second-fewest play-action passes in the league. Jones’ last throw, also preceded by a play fake, was a 2-yard touchdown threaded to Jakobi Meyers.
Undeterred, the Bills answered with their own winding drive, a 13-play, 75-yarder sustained by Allen’s brilliance. Allen converted twice on third down with strikes to Stefon Diggs (7 catches, 104 yards, TD) and Gabriel Davis, then rolled right and rifled a 4-yard touchdown to tight end Dawson Knox. The offenses exchanged punts again to start the second quarter, when Jones capped another scoring drive with a 2-yard touchdown pass to DeVante Parker.
The 14-14 all tie held through halftime, Jones lofted a curious jump-ball pass for Nelson Agholor along the left sideline at Buffalo’s 2-yard line that Bills cornerback Tre’Davious White, a former All-Pro, snatched instead. While the Bills fumbled possession back deep inside their own territory, all the Pats could manage was a 24-yard field goal for their first lead.
Seconds later, Hines raced through the Patriots’ kick coverage team again for a 101-yard touchdown and 21-17 lead. Allen pulled Buffalo ahead even further with a spectacular showing of backyard football, rolling right, directing backup receiver John Brown downfield with his left hand and launching an improvised 42-yard touchdown pass down the right sideline.
While Jones hit his own touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter, another strike to Parker, Allen uncorked a game-clinching 49-yard bomb to Diggs at 8:59 remaining.
Here were the best and worst Patriot performances from Sunday:
Best
WR DeVante Parker He finished with a team-high six catches, 76 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
S Devin McCourty The captain snagged Allen’s only interception, recovered a fumble and totaled five tackles.
Worst
Kick coverage Abysmal. The Patriots were on the wrong end of the 11th game in NFL history when a player has scored two kick return touchdowns.
WR Nelson Agholor His only target resulted in an interception.
