The Buffalo Bills choked away their undefeated record in Week 5, losing 23-20 to the New England Patriots at home in front of a national audience. Quarterback Josh Allen did not hold back afterward, calling the performance “piss poor offense” in a blunt postgame interview that sent shockwaves through the locker room.
Buffalo committed three turnovers and 11 penalties in one of the team’s messiest outings under Sean McDermott. Allen accounted for two of those turnovers and expressed frustration over execution and ball security. The loss ended the Bills’ regular-season win streak at Highmark Stadium dating back to November 2023.
Josh Allen calls out Buffalo Bills
offense
for costly red zone turnovers and sloppy execution
Josh Allen finished the game with 253 passing yards and two touchdowns, but the stats didn’t tell the story.
He fumbled in the first quarter on a failed exchange with tight end Dawson Knox, threw an interception in the red zone, and watched Keon Coleman fumble inside their own 10.
“We just played sloppy. Not gonna win a football game turning the ball over three times in our red zone. Gave them one in their red zone. That’s just bad, bad football. We just did not play good tonight,” Allen said after the game. “We shouldn’t even have been in it with three turnovers.
That’s just piss poor offense. ”
The Bills entered the matchup having turned the ball over just once through the first four weeks of the season. Against the Patriots, they gave it away three times, finishing with a minus-2 turnover margin. It was the first time Buffalo lost both the turnover battle and the game since Nov. 13, 2023.
Sean McDermott backed his quarterback’s comments with a no-nonsense assessment of his own.
“You can not turn the ball and expect to win, three times… the numbers don’t lie,” McDermott said.
New England Patriots stun Buffalo Bills with late field goal and statement win
The Patriots took advantage of Buffalo’s errors, sealing the win on a 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. The loss snapped the Bills’ NFL-record 27-game streak of avoiding a negative turnover margin and exposed major issues on offense in spite of Stefon Diggs’ consistent production.
Allen’s uncharacteristically harsh comments signaled a turning point. Known for shouldering the blame, this time he pointed the finger at performance, including his own. The fumble with Knox ended a 700-snap streak without a lost fumble. The interception thrown late over the middle was picked off by Marcus Jones at New England’s 10, killing a critical scoring drive.
Buffalo will need a quick reset before facing the Atlanta Falcons on the road in prime time on Monday Night Football on Oct. 13. After this one, nothing feels automatic.
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