In Sunday’s 24-21 victory over the New England Patriots, the Bills trotted out a new personnel grouping for the first time this season.

The Bills beat the Patriots 24-21 thanks to the performance from starting running back James Cook along with timely plays made by the defense. Cook ran the ball 11 times for 100 yards and one touchdown while also catching three passes for 26 yards and another touchdown, showing his ability to affect the game on the ground and through the air.

The Bills were fortunate to escape with a 24-21 victory over the Patriots. Here's how Sal Maiorana graded the performance.

Josh Allen doesn't have to do it all, and may be hard-pressed to top 4,000 yards passing for a fifth consecutive season. And that’s not a bad thing.

The Buffalo Bills won a nail-biter against the New England Patriots, 24-21, in Week 16 action. The Bills, a massive 14.5-point favorite entering the game, struggled mightily to dominate their lowly divisional rivals.

Buffalo Bills' running back James Cook breaks away from the New England Patriots' defense on an explosive 46-yard touchdown run. Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland yanks a game-sealing takeaway from Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White's grasp.

When the Bills got to the line of scrimmage, he had guard Alec Anderson lined up as a tight end to his left and fullback Reggie Gilliam on his left. But the Patriots came out with five defenders on the line of scrimmage and eight players in the box.

James Cook will lead the Buffalo Bills into their game versus the New England Patriots at Highmark Stadium on Sunday at 4:25 p.m. ET.The Patriots have been sputtering offensively, ranking

Buffalo went down by two scores early in the game and needed to play from behind. Bills quarterback Josh Allen has been on a tear, scoring 10 touchdowns in his last three games. But the Patriots made it hard on him all afternoon. Allen was sacked for the first time since the Bills’ win over the Indianapolis Colts on Nov. 10.

A whole lot of running back James Cook and takeaways by the defense helped the Buffalo Bills erase an early 14-point deficit Sunday against the New England Patriots.

James Cook finished with 126 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns, and the Buffalo Bills escaped with a 24-21 win over the New England Patriots on Sunday evening in Orchard Park, N.Y.