Buffalo Pays the Bills as players earn incentives, records and streaks against New England Patriots

A predictably ho-hum game still allowed for some good moments for the Buffalo Bills

David Faux | Jan 5, 2025

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen hands off the ball to running back James Cook against the New England Patriots in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

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A boring end to the regular season, but a good one nonetheless as Buffalo played mostly backups in Sunday's meaningless 23-16 loss to the New England Patriots. As is largely the case in week 18 games across the league, the Bills had nothing to play for, and the overall feeling of the game reflected that.

Below we'll take a look at the most inspired part of the game, the part that left us inquiring, the part that requires something better, and the most irksome part of the game.

Inspired - Buffalo players hit incentives, records and streaks:

It's a fun thing for fans to root for, but this sort of thing goes a long way with players. When players are looking for new teams, their agents are seeing stuff like this and saying "They will take care of you, they will do their best to help you earn your money."

Things like Josh Allen's start streak, James Cook tying the franchise rushing TD record, Sam Martin getting a bonus for a punt downed inside the 10, Cam Lewis playing a certain percentage of the snaps for a big bonus.,

Mack Hollins getting a pair of catches for a bonus. These sorts of things matter to players, and especially when they're considering joining a team that is successful, has a franchise quarterback, a set of facilities that are considered among the best in the league, and a new stadium being built. After a certain point, it really becomes a question of "why wouldn't you come to Buffalo?" , a question that would have been silly to ask no even ten years ago. The infamous rallying cry for legendary Bills' coach, Marc Levy rings true today: "Where else would you rather be than right here, right now?"

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Marcellas Dial Jr. (27) stops Buffalo Bills wide receiver Mack Hollins (13) near the end zone in the fist half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Who will be Buffalo's playoff opponent?

Jan 5, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) before the game against the Kansas City Chiefs at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images / Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

A topic of hot debate among Bills' fans is who they want in the first round of the playoff. With the Denver Broncos, Miami Dolphins, and Cincinnati Bengals all still in play at the time of this publication, and there's no easy answer.

The easiest may be Miami, as they have struggled throughout this entire season, and Tua Tagovailoa's status is currently up in the air with a hip injury. But they're a team that the Bills have played extremely well against, and don't have nearly the talent the Bills have to hang with them for four playoff quarters. The Broncos, who seem almost certain to lock up the final seed against the backups of the Kansas City Chiefs, present an interesting challenge as their strong defense and mauling offensive line can control the tempo and play of the game.

But a rookie QB in the playoffs against an extremely experienced Bills team is a big mismatch, and at a certain point, you need your QB to make plays for you. Speaking of a playmaking QB, the Cincinnati Bengals have scratched and clawed their way into this position where they can even have a chance at the postseason. They have largely been the team they've been all season, as Joe Burrow has been playing the best football of his career, but their defense is a sieve, entirely reliant on Trey Hendrickson for any sort of relief, and their kicking situations is fraught with inconsistencies. Regardless of who the Bills face, a team in the playoffs can make noise. Never forget the 7-9 Seahawks knocking off the defending super bowl champion Saints in 2010 during the infamous "Beastquake" game. That being said, whoever the 7 seed is, the Bills have more than enough to beat them, and beat them rather handily.

Does Buffalo need a new backup quarterback?

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (11) looks to throw against the New England Patriots during the first half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Mitchell Trubisky has spent a long time in the NFL. It may be time for him to update that LinkedIn profile, and start looking for something else to do. Trubisky doesn't do anything particularly well as a player, and his physical characteristics are middling at best. Trubisky's best shot in football may be seeing what's available to him in the XFL. While the Bills did sign Mike White to a 1-year extension before this game started, it also wouldn't be the worst idea in the world to see what kind of competition they can bring in for this backup spot. While it may be largely meaningless to most fans, the team doesn't view things that way, and needs to see what they can do to improve that spot.

Irk - Not Winning (I guess)

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott watches from the sideline as they take on the New England Patriots at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

A loss for the Bills means nothing, as they were locked into the 2 seed. A win for the Patriots means moving them out of position for the first overall pick. New England's season has been fraught with bad issues all around, largely stemming from a bad roster , one that could benefit from a better draft pick. Will it matter that much for a team that isn't going to be picking a QB with their pick? Likely not, but it's worth noting regardless. A season with 14 wins would have also been nice, but no one should scoff at the Bills winning 13 regular season games for the third time in five years.

What's next for the Buffalo Bills?

It's playoff time again for the Bills, and they'll take on the 7 seed, whoever that ends up being of the aforementioned Broncos, Bengals, and Dolphins. the Bills will be as well rested as they can be without a bye week, and they'll be at home, in front of a raucus Buffalo crowd at full throat looking to see if this will be the year for them.

It's the playoffs folks, in bulk.