It’s rare for any player in the NFL to view losing as a good thing, particularly against a division rival, but Stefon Diggs strangely tried to find as many silver linings as possible after the New England Patriots were defeated by his former team the Buffalo Bills in Week 15.
The Pats wasted 21- and 17-point leads to eventually slip to a 35-31 defeat at Gillette Stadium, but Diggs wasn’t about to wallow in disappointment. In fact, the wide receiver who was a four-time Pro Bowler with the Bills even suggested his new teammates needed this humbling setback.
Speaking to reporters after the game on Sunday, December 14, Diggs said, “It is definitely something – you never know, we probably needed it. Going on a little streak, not going to say it’s a lot of pressure, but you expect to win, as you should, each and every week…,” per Brian Hines of SB Nation’s Pats Pulpit.
Finding solace in no longer facing the heightened expectations created by winning 10 game in a row is an unusual way to put a positive spin on a disappointing day’s work. Yet, Diggs wasn’t done suggesting the Patriots should welcome falling flat during their biggest game in years.
The 32-year-old continued his reframing by adding, “You just can’t ever draw it or see how it is going to be. So, it’s good for us. I kind of said it in the beginning of the year: lessons. If you don’t learn anything from it, then obviously a loss, but it’s a lesson for sure that you’re going to have to keep that foot on the gas.”
Treating setbacks as teachable moments is healthy enough on the surface, but Diggs and the Pats can’t ignore the genuine concerns that emerged from their collapse against the Bills. Fortunately, there were also more tangible positives than simply being relieved the pressure’s supposedly now off for an 11-3 team.
Stefon Diggs Kept Quiet vs. Bills
Diggs talked a big game before the Bills visited New England, but the six-time 1,000-yard receiver was subdued on the field. The Buffalo secondary limited Diggs to only three catches for a mere 26 yards.
This was far from what the Patriots and their All-Pro pass-catcher expected. Diggs and Co. had every right to feel confident, having already beaten the Bills this season, 23-20 on the road back in Week 5.
A dominant performance from Diggs keyed that victory, as he reeled in 10 catches for 146 yards, but the veteran was targeted just four times this week. That was despite the Bills being without injured standout cover man Christian Benford.
Part of the problem was how “the Bills played split-safety shells on 86.7% of his drop-backs to limit big plays.” It also didn’t help that second-year quarterback Drake Maye “had a few sprays and took a sack when there appeared to be open receivers downfield,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
Maye took the heat on himself for the loss, but Diggs not being more of a factor against a depleted defensive backfield was frustrating. Especially since the Patriots signed him to boss games as big as this one.
Instead, the Pats had to look to a rookie to bail out their erratic, one-sided offense.
Patriots Found Major Positive in Defeat
They couldn’t throw the ball with any consistency, but the Pats had no trouble finding daylight on the ground. A franchise record 9.8 yards per carry keyed a season-best 246 rushing yards, with 2025 NFL draft second-round pick TreVeyon Henderson accounting for 148 of them on only 14 carries.
Henderson turned two of his rushing attempts into touchdowns covering 52 and 65 yards. The latter contributed the only points the Pats scored after halftime.
Scoring dried up because the home team lacked balance on offense while Maye and Diggs floundered, but at least Henderson announced himself as a legitimate big-play specialist.
He’s the first Patriots player to post four runs of 50-plus yards in the same season. Henderson had already established some team history when he also scored two touchdowns from 50 or more yards against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 10.
They couldn’t get Diggs and their passing game going, while head coach Mike Vrabel was frustrated by failings on defense, but the Patriots may have found their engine for the playoffs in the backfield.
That’s the only truly positive thing to take away from losing to the Bills.
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