If this is a sign of things to come at the end of this season, no team will want to face off against the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen. Week 15 was a huge matchup for the Bills, as they took on the first-place New England Patriots and NFL MVP candidate Drake Maye. The game looked like it was trending in the Patriots' favor early. But the Bills overcame a 21-point comeback, thanks to the Bills' franchise quarterback.
On Sunday, the Bills defeated the Patriots 35-31. Allen helped orchestrate a game-winning drive in the fourth quarter, culminating in an 11-yard touchdown run. Allen finished the game completing 19-of-28 pass attempts for 193 yards and three touchdowns, while also running for 48 yards on 11 carries.
After the game, as the Patriots lamented about the win that got away from them, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel couldn't help but heap huge praise on Allen. Vrabel simply said, "That's why they pay him $60 million."
Mike Vrabel on Josh Allen orchestrating that comeback: “That’s why they pay him $60 million.”
— Chad Graff (@ChadGraff) December 14, 2025
Patriots HC Mike Vrabel heaped praise on Josh Allen after Bills' comeback victory
When a team has a good-to-great-to-elite quarterback like Allen, they will have to pay him as such. For the Bills, they didn't hesitate to ensure that Allen remained in Buffalo for the long haul. The Bills signed Allen to a six-year, $330 million contract extension earlier this year. At $55 million, Allen is the second-highest paid quarterback in the NFL in terms of annual salary behind Dak Prescott of the Dallas Cowboys, who earns $60 million per year.
Entering Sunday's game, Allen had thrown for 3,083 yards, 22 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions on a 70.1 completion percentage, while also running for 487 yards and 12 touchdowns on 87 carries.
The Bills have now improved to 10-4 on the year and look like locks to make the playoffs. Not only that, but they are officially one game back of the Patriots for first place in the AFC East. That certainly didn't seem attainable after the Patriots had gone on what was a 10-game winning streak. The Bills, meanwhile, turned things around after falling to 7-4 three weeks ago. They are now on a three-game winning streak and have back-to-back comeback victories.
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To make things that much sweeter for Allen and the Bills, they won't have to deal with the Kansas City Chiefs, who were officially eliminated from playoff contention on Sunday after a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.
The Bills and Patriots won't meet again in the regular season, with the only possible meeting for a third matchup being in the playoffs. If that is the case, Vrabel and the Patriots know that no lead is safe with Allen standing on the opposite sidelines.