Joe Milton III passed for a touchdown and ran for another in his NFL debut, and the New England Patriots cost themselves the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft with a 23-16 win over the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.

The Bufffalo Bills are better than the New England Patriots at everything. That includes losing. In a game that seemed neither team wanted to win, the Patriots squeaked it out 23-16, losing out on the No.

The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 23-16 on Sunday, finishing their season at 4-13. It was not a win celebrated by all Pats fans, however. The Patriots lost the number one overall pick to the Tennessee Titans by winning this game.

The New England Patriots fired head coach Jerod Mayo on Sunday, announcing the move just after team’s final game and leaving the Patriots searching for a new head coach for the second time in two offseasons.

Several factors — both due to Jerod Mayo and things out of the first-year coach's control — led to disaster for the Patriots in 2024.

The 2024 Patriots suffered through two six-game losing streaks, and one of their four wins came against the Bills’ backups in a game Buffalo showed no interest in winning. That season-ending victory did more harm than good for New England, as it knocked the Patriots from first to fourth in the 2025 NFL Draft order.

The Buffalo Bills (13-3) head to Gillette Stadium on Sunday to face the New England Patriots (3-13) in a Week 18 season finale AFC East matchup.