Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
Check out the game action photos from the New Orleans Saints game against the Buffalo Bills for Week 4 of the 2025 NFL Season on Sept. 28, 2025 at Highmark Stadium.
There's no debating whether the New Orleans Saints digested and applied lessons learned from a Week 3 debacle against Seattle — one of the worst-played games in franchise history — to Sunday's visit to Highmark Stadium to face Buffalo.
But just as definitive is this: The Saints (0-4) did more than leave meat on the bone. New Orleans will look back and see an entire meal that wasn't consumed.
New Orleans fell 31-19 to the Bills (4-0) in Orchard Park, N.Y. But the 12-point margin was far from indicative of how well the Saints played in enough spots to have deserved better, but poorly enough in smaller gaps to ensure that victory would remain elusive under first-year coach Kellen Moore.
The Saints left almost as many points on the field as they registered on the scoreboard against the Bills, a team that's among the favorites to represent the AFC in the Super Bowl.
In the second quarter, linebacker Pete Werner dropped a possible interception off a Josh Allen pass that was deflected by defensive end Chris Rumph II. New Orleans would have had possession in or near the red zone with 9:45 left and Buffalo leading 14-7. Buffalo escaped with a punt.
Also in the second, trailing 14-10 with 91 seconds left in the half and facing third-and-goal from the Buffalo 5-yard line, New Orleans opted for a "Philly Special." The ball wound up in the hands of receiver Chris Olave, who lofted a pass intended for quarterback Spencer Rattler near the right front pylon of the end zone. Bills safety Cole Bishop intercepted the pass at the 1 and Buffalo ran out the clock to get to halftime.
In the fourth quarter, with New Orleans trailing 21-16, and facing third-and-13 from the Buffalo 17-yard line, receiver Brandin Cooks sprang free in the end zone between two defenders. But Rattler's throw was a tad behind and low. Cooks couldn't field it cleanly — replay overturned the initial call of a touchdown — and New Orleans settled for Blake Grupe's second field goal to pull to 21-19.
"Ultimately we didn't make enough plays to win this game," Moore said. "That's a really good football team. That team is going to play late into this season. We put ourself in position, I felt like we were competing. We were playing the right way, we just came up short.
"We've just got to keep on going. We've got to keep going, we've got to keep battling. We've missed four (opportunities to win games), you're given 13 more of these and we've just got to keep getting better and put ourselves in good position."
New Orleans put itself in position Sunday by doing much of what it needed to do.
The Saints ran well — 189 yards and a touchdown on 34 carries, with Alvin Kamara (70 yards), Kendre Miller (65) and Rattler (49) combining to average 5.8 yards per carry.
Rattler played another clean game (18 of 27 for 126 yards and a 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Olave, with no interceptions).
New Orleans controlled its penalty situation, committing just four for 41 yards (after committing 11 last week), and was efficient enough on third down (5 for 13).
But the defense couldn't hold off Allen forever. The Saints sacked him three times and he was intercepted for the first time this season, by safety Jonas Sanker, but the 2024 Most Valuable Player completed 16 of 22 for 209 yards and two touchdowns, and ran for 45 yards and a touchdown on seven carries.
On the fourth-quarter drive during which Buffalo extended its lead from 21-19 to 28-19, Allen scrambled for 27 yards on third-and-5, then threw a 28-yard touchdown to tight end Dalton Kincaid on the next play, with 7:07 left.
The Saints' final hope was extinguished with 5:18 left. The Bills were forced to punt from their 44 on fourth-and-7, but with the punt block on, linebacker Nephi Sewell barely missed and was penalized for roughing the kicker.
The Bills used the penalty to help produce the final points of the game, a 35-yard field goal with 2:09 remaining.
"We had opportunities. I thought we played much better than last week (in a 44-13 loss to Seattle)," Rattler said. "Credit to them, they took advantage of their opportunities and we just fell a little short. We ran the ball really, really well. We were moving it up and down the field. There were a few moments in that game where we could have taken it over, and it doesn't always go your way.
"We're in these games and we've just got to close them out. It's frustrating. But we know who we are, we know what we can be and there's 13 more games left to show that. Whatever happens going forward, we're just going to keep working, keep building and keep progressing."
Moore said he felt that the Saints competed in all three phases for the entire game.
"Opportunities are going to present themselves," he said. "That's what this league is all about; you're going to have opportunities and you've got to take advantage of them. There certainly were ones that we took advantage of, just not enough."
