A lot was on the line for the Patriots in their first game back from their late-season bye, most notably the AFC East, which they could have stolen from the Bills with a win. Their first-half effort made it look beyond possible, as they went up by three scores early, only to totally collapse in the second half and give the Bills a chance at the division down the stretch.
It was a frustrating display of how the team played early in the year, losing to the Raiders and Steelers in a similar fashion. Although the officiating was far from consistent, it was clear the Patriots came out of halftime as a completely different team, while the Bills came out to maintain their throne at the top of the AFC East.
Considering how well they looked in the first two quarters, it should have been an easy win to prove they are a legitimate team. But that was far from what we saw on the field.
That made it easy for Mike Vrabel to sum up what led to their loss, and he probably couldn't have worded it any better.
Mike Vrabel doesn't hesitate in his assessment of how the Patriots lost
During his comments to the media immediately after the game, Vrabel was quick to acknowledge the Patriots' shortcomings and summed up their loss in one easy sentence: "We weren't able to get any stops."
The Bills drove down the field five times and scored at the end of each one.
Mike Vrabel was asked why the Bills were able to pull off the comeback after being down 21-0:
— Tom Carroll (@yaboiTCfresh) December 14, 2025
“We weren’t able to get any stops. And the one where we had an opportunity to make a play, we weren’t able to make it. Penalties, and that’s how this game goes, you know? Few small… pic.twitter.com/rt070O4s2I
The defense didn't show up in the second half, and it's difficult to pinpoint what happened. They looked great for the first two quarters and were asleep for the rest of the game after halftime.
They'll have to get back to that kind of performance over the next three games, or risk their chance to win the division and fare well in the playoffs.
The Patriots have accomplished far more this year than anyone could have predicted, so that is a win in itself. But now that they are chasing bigger things, like the postseason and the division, that has become their ultimate goal, and they can't lose focus of that now.