NFL News

Home

Teams

Quizzes

Watch

Newsletter

Power Rankings

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) hands off the ball against the New England Patriots in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. David Butler II-Imagn Images

'They didn't panic': Damien Woody commends Bills for comeback vs. Patriots

By Colby Colwell | Last updated Dec 15, 2025 9:58 PM ET

The New England Patriots led 21-0 and took a 24-7 lead into the break before the Buffalo Bills had other ideas in Sunday's critical AFC East showdown.

A win from the Patriots would have clinched their first division title since 2019, but instead, quarterback Josh Allen and the Bills were not going to let that happen, outscoring the Patriots 28-7 in a stunning second-half road comeback.

Despite the adversity going into halftime, the Bills stayed committed to their run game, which is something former player and current ESPN NFL analyst Damien Woody touched on during an appearance on Monday's edition of "First Take."

Damien Woody applauds Bills for second-half rally

""Buffalo Bills down 21 points, they didn't panic... They threw the kitchen sink at New England in the second half," Woody said. "It seemed like from down to down, they were doing different defenses and throwing different things at (Patriots QB) Drake Maye, and they had Drake Maye puzzled in that game, especially in the second half."

"So, give Buffalo all the credit in the world for sticking with their game plan, not panicking, running the football, which they do best, and ultimately their defense played a huge role in this comeback up in Foxborough, which was a huge divisional win."

"Buffalo Bills again down 21 points, they didn't panic." ✍️@damienwoody reacts to the Bills comeback win against the Patriots pic.twitter.com/2W26zhEv1p
— First Take (@FirstTake) December 15, 2025

With his back against the wall, Allen was sensational once again, going 19-of-28 for 193 yards with three TDs and zero interceptions. He also tacked on 48 rush yards and only strengthened his MVP case. While McDermott acknowledged that he does not pay much attention to everything else going on around the league, he was impressed by Allen's ability to lead the team back in the second half against a Patriots squad that had won 10 straight.

Allen is currently third in FanDuel's latest MVP odds at +600, trailing Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford (-260) and Maye (+380), but he is tied with Stafford for the league lead in combined passing and rushing TDs (37) and should definitely be in the running for his second straight MVP award.

Aside from Allen, Buffalo's league-leading run game (158.5 YPG) was in full force once again with James Cook rushing for 107 yards and two TDs. The defense, though, was perhaps the most impressive in the second half.

For a 17th-ranked defense that allows 23.1 points per game, it held Maye, who has the fifth-most pass yards in the league (3,567), to 155 yards. Other than running back TreVeyon Henderson's breakaway 65-yard TD run in the fourth quarter, the Bills completely dominated the second half, forcing two punts, an interception and a turnover on downs.

Buffalo still has some work to do against the run, but it is only one game back of New England for the division lead with three games to go. It lost to the Patriots earlier this season, but with a huge rally on Sunday and a favorable remaining schedule, the AFC East race is far from over after Buffalo's third straight win.

Colby Colwell

Colby Colwell is a freelance contributor with a bachelor’s in Computer & Information Technology and a minor in Psychology from Western Kentucky University. With a deep passion for sports, especially NASCAR, he offers his substantial knowledge along with his adept writing skills. When he’s not writing, Colby enjoys traveling, cooking, and spending time with his family

More must-reads: