Buffalo Bills collapse in third quarter versus Patriots: 5 Takeaways

A woeful third quarter and injuries cost the Buffalo Bills a chance to win their second straight game, losing to their divisional rivals the New England Patriots 23-3 on Sunday.

It was a tale of two halves for the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon, as they hosted the New England Patriots at New Era Field.

After snapping a three-game losing streak last week in Kansas City the Bills looked like they found their early season swagger against the division-leading Patriots.

In order to keep their playoff hopes alive, the Bills came out strong in the first half and took the fight to the Patriots.

Led by their defense, the Buffalo Bills kept the game low-scoring, holding Tom Brady and the Patriots to a 9-3 score at halftime thanks to a strong pass rush and good coverage from the secondary.

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Then in the third quarter things began to unravel, as the Patriots scored two unanswered touchdowns and prevented the Bills’ offense from scoring for the rest of the game.

With the loss, the Bills are now a game behind the Baltimore Ravens in the playoff hunt and could be without two of their top players.

Standout rookie cornerback Tre’Davious White has entered the NFL’s concussion protocol following a cheap shot from Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, while starting quarterback Tyrod Taylor was carted off the field with an apparent knee injury.

Here are five takeaways from the Bills’ loss to the Patriots: