ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — The Buffalo Bills' Josh Allen-led offense is misfiring, and coach Sean McDermott and coordinator Joe Brady have an extra bye week off to figure out what’s gone wrong.
Though injuries are a concern, one place to start could be cutting out the so-called "cute" plays, which have cost the Bills (4-2) in dropping their past two games.
Another is for Brady to begin leaning on his team's strengths, and specifically James Cook. After gaining 87 yards on 17 carries, the running back spent the final 11 minutes cooling his heels on the sideline of a 24-14 loss to Atlanta on Monday night.
Brady, evidently, didn’t get the hint McDermott dropped last week in saying he felt the offense was “too cute at times,” following a 23-20 loss to New England. Buffalo’s opening drive against the Patriots ended with Allen losing a fumble at midfield when flubbing a handoff to Dawson Knox on a tight end sweep.
It happened again on Monday. This time, receiver Elijah Moore recovered a fumble following Allen's botched handoff on third-and-1 from the Buffalo 48, four minutes into the fourth quarter.
“We can be better,” McDermott said, in reference to the play that led to a three-and-out after Greg Rousseau blocked Parker Romo's 37-yard field-goal attempt to keep it a one-score game.
“It’s a good point,” the coach said, when asked why Cook wasn’t on the field. “We've got to dive deep into what we're doing, how we're doing it, making sure we've got the right people in the right positions.”
In the end, Allen was sacked a season-high four times in being asked to do far too much in the face of Atlanta's relentless pressure, while overseeing an injury-depleted offense. Buffalo opened without its leading receiver, tight end Dalton Kincaid (oblique), and then lost its top deep threat when Joshua Palmer twisted his left ankle after a 15-yard catch a minute into the second quarter.
With Palmer accounting for 60 of Buffalo’ 180 yards receiving, the injuries exposed an ongoing weaknesses in a passing attack that lacks an identifiable threat.
Second-year receiver Keon Coleman’s production has all but evaporated. He’s combined for 125 yards receiving over his past five outings since gaining 112 in the opener. And slot receiver Khalil Shakir is struggling to find space with more defenses creeping closer to the line of scrimmage.
In two weeks, Buffalo has gone from squandering an opportunity to open a three-win edge on its division rivals, to sitting second in the AFC East behind New England (4-2).
Say what you will about a Bills defense that allowed 21 points and 335 yards in the first half. The unit, missing numerous key pieces, responded in limiting the Falcons to three points and 108 yards over the final 30 minutes.
This loss to Atlanta was on Allen and an offense that had season lows in points, yards (291), first downs (17) and third down conversions (2 of 9).
Most concerning is how Buffalo stalled after scoring a second-half opening touchdown to cut the deficit to 21-14. Buffalo’s next three possessions ended with two punts and a turnover on downs, when running back Ty Johnson was late turning back to catch Allen’s hurried, underthrown pass on fourth-and-2 at midfield.
Allen was left to defend Brady’s play-calling.
“Listen, if it works it’s a great call. If it doesn’t, it’s not,” the reigning NFL MVP said.
Red zone defense. Aside from the field-goal block, the Bills allowed a touchdown and a field goal on Atlanta's three drives inside the 20. Overall, Buffalo has limited opponents to 10 touchdowns and six field goals on 18 red zone drives.
Third down offense. Buffalo has converted 10 of 28 third down attempts over its past three outings, and is 28 of 72 overall.
Palmer, before he was injured. The offseason free-agent addition showed off his field-stretching ability with a 45-yard catch on the opening play from scrimmage.
Allen. The quarterback looked hesitant in the pocket, and threw two interceptions, his fourth in three outings, plus a lost fumble.
Aside from Palmer and Kincaid, DT DaQuan Jones was a late scratch after hurting his calf in pregame warmups. LB Terrel Bernard did not return after hurting his right ankle. McDermott listed Jones and Palmer as week to week, with Bernard, Kincaid, linebacker Matt Milano (pectoral) and receiver Curtis Samuel (neck/ribs) listed as day to day.
3-21 — Combined record of opponents Buffalo has defeated this season. The two losses are against opponents who are a combined 7-4.
Rest, recover and re-examine over a bye week before returning to visit the Carolina Panthers (3-3) on Oct. 26. Allen has never lost three consecutive starts.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Buffalo Bills head coach Sean McDermott speaks after an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen speaks during a news conference after an NFL football game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Buffalo Bills, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) is sacked by Atlanta Falcons cornerback Dee Alford (20) and defensive end James Pearce Jr. (27) during the first half of an NFL football game, Monday, Oct. 13, 2025, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
NEW YORK (AP) — A New York City Council employee detained in the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown is an asylum-seeker from Venezuela, according to a court petition seeking his release.
Rafael Andres Rubio Bohorquez was arrested Monday at a scheduled immigration check-in, enraging city leaders and drawing protesters Tuesday to the Manhattan federal building where he is being held.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said Rubio Bohorquez had long overstayed a tourist visa, had once been arrested for assault and “had no legal right to be in the United States.”
City Council Speaker Julie Menin disputed that, telling reporters that Rubio Bohorquez, a data analyst for the city legislative body, was legally authorized to work in the U.S. until October.
Menin, a Democrat, said the council employee signed a document as part of his employment confirming that he had never been arrested and cleared the standard background check conducted for all applicants.
The court petition, reviewed Tuesday by The Associated Press, said Rubio Bohorquez — identified in the document as R.A.R.B. — had always been seeking asylum and was arrested at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services asylum office in Bethpage, on Long Island.
Menin called it a regular check-in that “quickly went awry.”
The document, known as a petition for writ of habeas corpus, said Rubio Bohorquez has no criminal record — no arrests, charges or convictions. A hearing on the petition is scheduled for Friday.
ICE confirmed Rubio Bohorquez’s name. Menin said she wanted to protect his identity and referred to him only as a council employee.
“We are doing everything we can to secure his immediate release,” Menin told reporters Monday. She decried the arrest as “egregious government overreach.”
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a Democrat, said he was “outraged” by what he called “an assault on our democracy, on our city, and our values.”
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul referenced Rubio Bohorquez’s arrest in her state of the state speech on Tuesday, asking: “Is this person really one of the baddest of the bad? Is this person really a threat?”
“I will do whatever it takes to protect New Yorkers from criminals, but people of all political beliefs are saying the same thing about what we’ve seen lately: Enough is enough,” said Hochul, a Democrat.
Menin said officials were attempting to reach Rubio Bohorquez’s family and obtain contact information for his immigration lawyer.
The nonprofit New York Legal Assistance Group filed the habeas petition on Rubio Bohorquez’s behalf. The organization’s president and CEO, Lisa Rivera, said it represents dozens of people who have been wrongfully detained by ICE and hundreds who are following immigration procedures in hopes of staying in the U.S.
“This staffer, who chose to work for the city and contribute his expertise to the community, did everything right by appearing at a scheduled interview, and yet ICE unlawfully detained him,” Rivera said in a statement.
According to ICE, Rubio Bohorquez entered the U.S. in 2017 on a B2 tourist visa and was required to leave the country by Oct. 22, 2017. He has been employed by the City Council for about a year, Menin said. His position pays about $129,315 per year, according to city payroll data.
“He had no work authorization,” ICE said in a statement confirming Rubio Bohorquez’s arrest. The agency, part of the Department of Homeland Security, said that under Secretary Kristi Noem “criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the United States. If you come to our country illegally and break our law, we will find you and we will arrest you.”
Several dozen people protested Tuesday outside the Greater New York Federal Building, where Rubio Bohorquez was being held. Some carried signs that said “Abolish ICE” and “No Human Is Illegal.”'
Venezuela, whose former President Nicolás Maduro was seized Jan. 3 by U.S. forces, has been roiled for years by violence and economic instability. Nearly 8 million people have fled the South American nation since 2014, according to the United Nations refugee agency.
Last year, President Donald Trump's administration ended Temporary Protected Status that had been allowing hundreds of thousands of Venezuelan refugees to live and work in the U.S. without fear of deportation. It wasn't clear from court papers whether Rubio Bohorquez had been a part of that program.
Disputes over an immigrant’s work authorization have arisen before, in part because many employers rely on E-Verify. The system compares information provided by employees with records available to the government but doesn’t automatically notify an employer if an employee’s right to work is later revoked.
Matthew Malloy, Executive Board Member with the Association of Legislative Employees, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Alexa Avilés, New York City Council member, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Chi Ossé, New York City Council member, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
Carlos Calzadilla, President of Brooklyn Young Democrats, speaks during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
People raise signs during a news conference outside Greater New York Federal Building, Tuesday, Jan. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)
