Buffalo
Bills
1-0
28
FINAL
14
New England
Patriots
1-0
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Wildcard Round matchup, the Buffalo Bills topped the New England Patriots 28-14, advancing in the 2026 postseason. The stakes were high as both teams battled for a chance to keep their Super Bowl hopes alive, but it was the Bills who emerged victorious with a dominant performance.
James Cook III was the standout on the ground for Buffalo, racking up an impressive 259 rushing yards and finding the end zone, fueling the Bills' offensive attack. Meanwhile, Drake Maye led the Patriots' passing game with 254 yards, connecting with A.J. Brown for 112 receiving yards, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Bills' relentless offense.
Defensively, Buffalo made key plays that shifted momentum in their favor, highlighted by Christian Benford's crucial interception. The Bills' defense held strong throughout the game, limiting the Patriots to just 14 points and forcing them into tough situations. With Maxwell Hairston leading the way with three total tackles, Buffalo's defense played a pivotal role in securing their place in the next round.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drake Maye | QB | 26 | 12 | 46% | 254 | 0 | 3 | 41.6 |
| Josh Allen | QB | 10 | 5 | 50% | 80 | 0 | 1 | 37.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| James Cook III | HB | 19 | 259 | 13.6 | 29 | 4 | 76 | 0 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 21 | 69 | 3.3 | 28 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Drake Maye | QB | 8 | 27 | 3.4 | 2 | 2 | 9 | 0 |
| KJ Hamler | WR | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A.J. Brown | WR | 3 | 112 | 37.3 | 25 | 0 | 57 | 0 |
| Dalton Kincaid | TE | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 42 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Hunter Henry | TE | 3 | 39 | 13.0 | 26 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| TreVeyon Henderson | HB | 3 | 36 | 12.0 | 43 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| KJ Hamler | WR | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 23 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Kyle Williams | WR | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Khalil Shakir | WR | 2 | 28 | 14.0 | 20 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| James Cook III | HB | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maxwell Hairston | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Carlton Davis III | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Benford | CB | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Dorian Williams | WILL | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| T.J. Parker | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Channing Tindall | MIKE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Cole Bishop | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ed Oliver | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Johnson | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaleb Elarms-Orr | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jordan Hancock | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Rousseau | LEDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Robert Spillane | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Milton Williams | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Erick Hunter | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Amare Barno | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gabe Jacas | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Kilgore | SS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Baringer | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Andres Borregales | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tommy Doman Jr | P | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 |

