Week 18 Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots Box score, stats and summary feat. Joe Milton

The game between the New England Patriots and the Buffalo Bills had no meaning for playoff concerns, but it was still important for one reason: a loss for the Patriots would mean that they would hold the first overall pick in the 2025 NFL draft. But that's not what happened.

It was a golden opportunity to try and test new things. Drake Maye, who had been questionable for the entire week, played just a few snaps before giving way for Joe Milton to take over as the quarterback for the day.

For the Bills, however, with the number two seed already guaranteed, there was also no reason to play its starters in a meaningless game, and Mitchell Trubisky took over.

Even with the win, head coach Jerod Mayo was fired from New England after just one season.

Buffalo Bills vs. New England Patriots box score

Team	First Quarter	Second Quarter	Third Quarter	Fourth Quarter	Final Score
Buffalo Bills	0	10	6	0	16
New England Patriots	7	7	3	6	23

A win is rarely a bad thing in the NFL, but for New England, this triumph does not have a good taste. They improved from the first to the fourth overall position in the 2025 NFL Draft, missing out on what would likely be a great haul of picks from a team desperate to find a franchise quarterback.

Buffalo Bills box score

Quarterback

Quarterback	Passing Yds	Completions	Pass Atts	Pass TDs	INTs	Rush yds	Rush att
Mitchell Trubisky	101	15	21	1	0	8	3

Josh Allen did nothing more than play the very first offensive snap of the game to be considered the starter, but overall, it was Mitchell Trubisky doing the work. The backup put together a solid outing with no turnovers.

Rushing and receiving

Player	Rush Attempts	Rushing Yards	Rushing TDs	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Receiving TDs
Ray Davis	15	64	0	2	1	1
James Cook	10	28	1	0	0	0
Ty Johnson	2	13	0	1	0	0
Keon Coleman	1	9	0	2	31	0
Mack Hollins	0	0	0	3	25	0
Curtis Samuel	0	0	0	7	52	0
Quintin Morris	0	0	0	3	20	0
-	0	0	0	0	0	0

Defense

Player	Tackles (Total)	Sacks	Interceptions
Edefuan Ulofoshio	5	0	0
Javon Solomon	7	0	0
Taylor Rapp	3	0	0
Kaiir Elam	5	0	0
Ja'Marcus Ingram	6	0	0
DeWayne Carter	5	0	0
Joe Andreessen	10	0	0
Dorian Williams	4	0	0
Damar Hamlin	6	0	0
Casey Toohill	6	0	0
Von Miller	1	1	0
Quinton Jefferson	2	0	0
Rasul Douglas	1	0	0
Brandon Codrington	4	0	0
Cole Bishop	3	0	0
Ty Johnson	2	0	0
	0	0	0
-	0	0	0

New England Patriots box score

Quarterback

Quarterback	Passing Yds	Completions	Pass Atts	Pass TDs	INTs	Rush yds	Rush att
Joe Milton	241	22	29	1	0	16	10

A great game from quarterback Joe Milton, who also took over quickly after Drake Maye played in the first series just to be named as the starter for the game. He made great throws and impressed during his time on the field, even if a win was not wanted.

Rushing and receiving

Player	Rush Attempts	Rushing Yards	Rushing TDs	Receptions	Receiving Yards	Receiving TDs
Antonio Gibson	12	41	0	4	20	0
Terrell Jennings	8	20	0	0	0	0
Kayshon Boutte	0	0	0	7	117	1
DeMario Douglas	0	0	0	3	34	0
Austin Hooper	0	0	0	4	27	0
Jaheim Bell	0	0	0	1	19	0
Kendrick Bourne	0	0	0	2	12	0
Javon Baker	0	0	0	1	12	0

Kayshon Boutte did not appear much during the year, but in the season finale, he made great connections with Milton. One of the key aspects for the Patriots to improve in 2025 is their group of pass catchers, and Boutte could have a role to play on the roster.

Defense

Player	Tackles (Total)	Sacks	Interceptions
Christian Elliss	13	0	0
Marcellas Dial	5	0	0
Davon Godchaux	3	0	0
Anfernee Jennings	6	0	0
Jeremiah Pharms	3	0	0
Deatrich Wise	3	0	0
Keion White	2	0	0
Truman Jones	2	0	0
Kyle Dugger	2	0	0
Dell Pettus	2	0	0
Isaiah Bolden	3	0	0
Marte Mapu	2	0	0
Jahlani Tavai	4	0	0
Jaylinn Hawkins	4	0	0
Eric Johnson	4	0	0
Titus Leo	4	0	0
Alex Austin	1	0	0
Daniel Ekuale	3	0	0