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.