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Stefon Diggs explains why it was ‘good’ for Patriots to lose to Bills on Sunday
"It’s a lesson for sure that you’re going to have to keep that foot on the gas.”
FOXBOROUGH — Stefon Diggs — like the rest of his teammates — ideally would have fielded questions in the Patriots locker room while donning “AFC East Champions” t-shirts and hats.
Instead, that merch will need to be packed away for at least another week after New England fell to the Bills, 35-31, on Sunday afternoon at Gillette Stadium.
New England will have a few more chances to clinch its first divisional title since 2019 moving forward this season.
Still, the optics of what played out at a snowy Gillette Stadium might have raised some level of concern for Patriots fans bracing for a fruitful playoff run.
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Not only did New England come up short at home against Josh Allen and the Bills, they relinquished what was a 21-0 lead in the second quarter — and a 17-point cushion at halftime — en route to their first loss since Week 3 of the 2025 season.
The takes doled out by pundits on Monday may not be very forgiving against New England — be it the Patriots’ favorable schedule or doubts over New England’s true viability as a contender in a wide-open AFC.
But, Diggs struck a positive tone postgame when asked about what New England could take from such a disheartening result.
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“I mean, it’s been awhile since we lost, but I wouldn’t say we forgot at all,” Diggs said of Sunday’s loss. “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. But you play good teams every week.
“It’s a new week every week, and you’re trying to go 1-0. 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, obviously a loss, but it’s a lesson for sure that you’re going to have to keep that foot on the gas.”
Little went right for New England in the second half against Buffalo.
While the Patriots defense coughed up five consecutive touchdown drives orchestrated by Allen and Co., New England’s offense — especially the passing game — stalled out down the stretch, preventing an explosive Patriots roster from trading blows with Buffalo in crunch time.
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Given Allen’s standing as one of the top playmakers in the NFL — coupled with the level of competition that awaits New England if it does plan on playing into late January — Diggs stressed that New England needs to not take its foot off the gas moving forward.
“Sixty minutes. You can’t have a lull on the mental side of it and the physical side of it. When you’re playing a team like that, they play from behind. They’re used to playing from behind, fighting back and clawing. They’ve been together for some years now, and they’ve led this division for a while. So, in order to get over that hump, play 60-minute football and execute at a higher level.”
The Patriots might have to confront some hard truths on Monday when they comb over the tape with the coaching staff.
But Diggs — who finished with three catches for 26 yards in the loss — said that the Patriots can’t dwell on prior miscues, not with just three games left on the regular-season schedule.
“Don’t be sensitive. Go in tomorrow with the mindset of everybody could have done more,” Diggs said. “Everybody could’ve just gave a little extra effort, even if you did give the maximum. Just getting on the same page, communication, just things like that around this time of the year.
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“We had a little bit of weather or whatever you want to dress it up, just going in with the right mindset tomorrow that whatever we did to get here, we’re not going to change up. We’re just going to have to go a little bit harder, watch a little bit of extra tape, do a little couple extra spins at practice, whatever it takes to get a win. So, preparing the right way is going to be another thing, but we’re not changing.”
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