Joe Milton III passed for a touchdown and ran for another in his NFL debut, and the New England Patriots cost themselves the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft with a 23-16 win over the AFC East champion Buffalo Bills.

The 2024 Patriots suffered through two six-game losing streaks, and one of their four wins came against the Bills’ backups in a game Buffalo showed no interest in winning. That season-ending victory did more harm than good for New England, as it knocked the Patriots from first to fourth in the 2025 NFL Draft order.

Former New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski ripped the organization's decision to fire head coach Jerod Mayo after one season at the helm.

That's some way to celebrate a win in your season finale. The New England Patriots (4-13) beat the Buffalo Bills (13-4) to round out their 2024 NFL season in a 23-16 final. The game was meaningless for

Additionally, Ben Johnson, the offensive coordinator for the Detroit Lions, is another name that could be in the mix. The Patriots have reportedly requested permission to interview Johnson about the vacancy left by Mayo, according to Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer.

FOXBOROUGH – Jerod Mayo didn’t get a chance to say goodbye. On Sunday evening, Mayo addressed his players in the locker room following the team’s win over the Buffalo Bills. After meeting with the media, in his post-game press conference, Mayo departed where he met with ownership and was fired after one season as the Patriots head coach.

The Patriots have fired their head coach after just one season in charge of the team, with the former New England linebacker failing to turn the franchise's fortunes around

Joe Milton scored two touchdowns after relieving a healthy Maye in the first quarter to push the Patriots to a 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills on Sunday. As a result, though, the Patriots will hold pick No. 4 in the 2025 NFL Draft. A loss to the Bills would’ve given New England the No. 1 pick.

Mayo was fired immediately after Sunday’s 23-16 win over the Buffalo Bills that dropped New England down to No. 4 overall in next spring’s NFL Draft. The Patriots went 4-13 in Mayo’s lone season at the helm and Robert Kraft sent out a statement confirming the move.

While many assumed that Mayo would get a second season with the Patriots, the team has continued its downward spiral since its Week 14 bye, causing a "shift" in the organization over the last month.

In the continuing aftermath of the New England Patriots firing of former head coach Jerod Mayo, the media pundits got a good night's rest and are back firing on all cylinders to question the timing of the decisions.