ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (Sept. 28, 2025) – When the Buffalo Bills needed their MVP to deliver, Josh Allen answered the call. Facing third down at midfield with the game hanging in the balance, the quarterback tucked the ball, shrugged off one tackler, sidestepped another, and rumbled for a 27-yard gain that brought Highmark Stadium to its feet. One snap later, Allen found tight end Dalton Kincaid wide open for a 28-yard touchdown, sealing a 31-19 victory over the winless New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

The win wasn’t always pretty, but it lifted Buffalo to 4-0 and extended its regular-season home winning streak to 14 games, just one shy of the franchise record.

MVP Moment

Allen’s decisive fourth-quarter run underscored the confidence his teammates have in his ability to take over games. Defensive tackle Jordan Phillips, making his season debut in his fourth stint with the team, said the Bills recognized the moment immediately.

“As soon as we get in predicaments like that, I think the defense all goes, ‘Here comes the MVP moment,’” Phillips said. “And sure enough, he shows up every time.”

Allen finished 16 of 22 for 209 yards with two touchdown passes, one interception, and a rushing score. His combination of poise and power kept Buffalo in control, even as offensive miscues threatened to stall drives.

“We weren’t doing ourselves many favors,” Allen admitted. “A couple of boneheaded penalties, boneheaded mistakes. Throwing a pick doesn’t help. But in those situations, you just try to do what you can to help this team win.”

Balanced Attack

Running back James Cook provided balance, rushing for 117 yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. His consistency between the tackles gave Buffalo manageable down-and-distance scenarios, while wideout Khalil Shakir opened the scoring on a highlight 43-yard catch-and-run, breaking multiple tackles to sprint into the end zone.

Buffalo finished with 356 total yards and topped 30 points for the fourth straight week, even as the Saints defense forced Allen into uncomfortable moments.

Saints Fight, But Fall Short

For the Saints (0-4), the effort was there but the finish was missing. Rookie head coach Kellen Moore praised his team’s competitiveness after a humiliating Week 3 blowout loss in Seattle, but acknowledged execution issues at key junctures.

“We put ourselves in position. We were competing. We were playing the right way. We just came up short,” Moore said. “We didn’t make enough plays when it mattered most.”

Quarterback Spencer Rattler, who turned 25 on Sunday, completed 18 of 27 passes for 126 yards with a touchdown to Chris Olave. Running back Kendre Miller added 65 yards and a score on the ground. Still, the Saints squandered repeated chances, coming away with just two field goals on four possessions that started inside Buffalo territory.

One particularly costly mistake came when Olave attempted a trick-play pass to Rattler, only for safety Cole Bishop to intercept it in the end zone.

Rattler, now 0-10 as an NFL starter, expressed frustration.

“It’s frustrating, because we are in these games, we just got to close them out,” he said. “You want a birthday W. You want a W every time. But this is the game we play.”

Defensive Finish

Buffalo’s defense held firm in the final minutes. After Kincaid’s touchdown, Tre’Davious White stuffed Alvin Kamara on fourth-and-4 to force a turnover on downs. Any lingering Saints hope evaporated moments later when linebacker Naphi Sewell, a practice squad call-up, was flagged for running into punter Cameron Johnston.

With possession secured, Buffalo added insurance as Matt Prater drilled a 35-yard field goal with just over two minutes left.

Looking Ahead

The Bills remain one of the NFL’s hottest teams, buoyed by an MVP-caliber quarterback and a defense capable of bending without breaking. At 4-0, Buffalo sits atop the AFC standings with momentum and confidence.

For the Saints, the road ahead looks daunting. An 0-4 start marks their ninth such stumble in franchise history and their first since 2012. The lack of offensive punch and ability to finish drives remain glaring issues as Moore seeks his first career win.

Buffalo, meanwhile, knows it can lean on Allen when the game tightens. As Sunday’s critical drive proved, sometimes one player’s determination is enough to change everything.