In a thrilling matchup at Highmark Stadium, the winless New Orleans Saints (0-4) pushed the undefeated Buffalo Bills (4-0) to the brink in a 31-19 loss that was much closer than the final score suggests. Despite never taking the lead, the Saints kept the pressure on, trailing by just four points at halftime (14-10) and narrowing the gap to 21-19 with nine minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. For a Bills team that entered the game as heavy favorites, the Saints’ gritty performance was a wake-up call.
New Orleans leaned heavily on their rushing attack, amassing an impressive 189 yards on 34 carries—an average of 5.5 yards per attempt. Running back Alvin Kamara led the way with 70 yards on 15 carries, while Kendre Miller added 65 yards on 11 attempts. Quarterback Spencer Rattler showcased his mobility, contributing 49 yards on six carries. This ground dominance kept the Bills’ defense on their heels and allowed the Saints to control the tempo for much of the game.
Despite the scare, Buffalo secured their 14th consecutive regular-season victory, one shy of the franchise record set by the 1990-91 team. “At the end of the day, the goal is to win the game,” said Bills linebacker Terrel Bernard, the defensive captain. “We haven’t played to our standard, but it’s Week 4. … We did what we had to do to win the game.” Head coach Sean McDermott echoed this sentiment, noting the team’s improved energy and attitude in the second half but acknowledging, “We still have a lot to work on.”
The Bills’ offense, led by quarterback Josh Allen, continued its high-powered ways, scoring at least 30 points for the fourth straight game this season. Allen threw a 43-yard touchdown pass to Kahlil Shakir and a 28-yard score to tight end Dalton Kincaid, marking his 45th career game with both a passing and rushing touchdown—a feat that ties him with Cam Newton for the NFL record. Running back James Cook also shone, rushing for 117 yards on 22 carries and scoring his league-leading fifth rushing touchdown of the season.
The game saw both teams make critical plays in the turnover battle. The Bills committed their first turnover since last December when a Josh Allen pass was intercepted by Saints rookie safety Jonas Sanker, a third-round draft pick. New Orleans, however, failed to capitalize fully on the takeaway. Meanwhile, the Bills’ defense made a pivotal play late in the first half when safety Cole Bishop intercepted a gadget-play pass from wide receiver Chris Olave intended for Rattler, marking Bishop’s first career interception.
On the pass-rush front, Buffalo’s DaQuan Jones recorded his second sack of the season on Rattler, while A.J. Epenesa (playing through a pectoral injury) and Joey Bosa added sacks in the fourth quarter, with Bosa also forcing a fumble. For the Saints, Cameron Jordan, Carl Granderson (a former Wyoming teammate of Allen), and Bryan Bresee each sacked Allen, with Granderson leading New Orleans with 3.5 sacks this season.
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Buffalo’s Dominance: The Bills have now scored 30+ points in 13 of their last 15 games and maintained an NFL-record 26 straight games without losing the giveaway/takeaway battle.
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McDermott’s September Success: Coach Sean McDermott improved his September record to 22-9, and the Bills’ 4-0 start is their first since 2021.
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Defensive Standouts: Cornerback Tre’Davious White and defensive back Kool-Aid McKinstry led their respective teams with seven tackles each.
The Bills were without three starters: defensive tackle Ed Oliver (ankle), outside linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral), and offensive tackle Spencer Brown (calf). Ryan Van Demark, Deone Walker, and Dorian Williams filled in admirably. Buffalo also activated defensive tackle Jordan Phillips from the practice squad to bolster the defensive line.
For the Bills, the win keeps their perfect record intact, but the close call against a winless Saints team underscores areas for improvement, particularly in defending the run. For New Orleans, the loss stings, but their ability to hang tough with a Super Bowl contender signals potential for a turnaround. As McDermott noted, the Bills “came together” when it mattered most, but both teams will look to refine their play as the season progresses.