Studs and duds in Bills' regular season finale against Patriots

The Buffalo Bills had good performances with their depth players, while some position groups struggled in Sunday's match against the New England Patriots.

Anthony Miller | Jan 5, 2025

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills running back James Cook (4) reacts after scoring a touchdown. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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The Buffalo Bills came close with the backups to pulling off a win, but the New England Patriots prevailed with a 23-16 win in the regular season finale on Sunday.

It was a day of milestones for the Bills that included the offense breaking an NFL record with scoring 30 passing touchdowns and 30 rushing touchdowns in a season. Von Miller picked up $1.5 million after making one sack to hit one of his contract incentives. New England outgained the Bills 309 yards to 259 yards in the game.

Some starters played with some depth players, and they got significant playing time in the last game of the season. Here's a look at the studs and duds from the Bills' loss to the Patriots.

Stud: RB Ray Davis

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; Buffalo Bills running back Ray Davis (22) makes a catch for a touchdown. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

While the guy ahead of him James Cook tied O.J. Simpson's franchise record for rushing touchdowns in a season with 16, Ray Davis got most of the carries out of the backfield. Davis finished with 15 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown reception. He has shown small glimpses of high potential all season as Davis has proven to be a reliable backup running back for the future.

James Cook with his 16th rushing touchdown is a franchise record for most rushing touchdowns in a season. 🧑‍🍳

Video via. @BuffaloBills #BUFvsNE #BillsMafia #JamesCook pic.twitter.com/IZrRs77Z4M
— Fred Kilmartin (@FredKilmartin80) January 5, 2025

Duds: Bills Defensive Line

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III (19) throws a pass. / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III played most of the game for New England and gave the Bills' defensive line fits all game. After sacking starting Drake Maye on the opening drive, the Bills only had two quarterback hits the rest of the game and couldn't sack Milton. More will be said about Milton's passing in the game, but his mobility made life difficult for the Bills' defense to get much pressure on him.

Stud: WR Curtis Samuel

Nov 17, 2024; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills wide receiver Curtis Samuel (1) celebrates scoring a touchdown. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

Samuel has had a relatively quiet season for the Bills but proved to be the top receiver on the team on Sunday. He finished with seven receptions for 52 yards, both team highs. It was Samuel's second-most receiving yards of the season which should give him good momentum going into the Wild Card matchup.

Duds: Buffalo Bills Secondary

Jan 5, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots tight end Austin Hooper (81) runs the ball against Buffalo Bills safety Taylor Rapp (9) and linebacker Joe Andreessen (44). / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Milton had a field day with the Bills' secondary, throwing for 241 yards and one passing score. The secondary only had two pass deflections, forcing just eight total incompletions between Milton and Maye. What has been normally a reliable secondary showed some vulnerable spots with the backups, but should back to full strength for the playoffs.

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