Buffalo Bills Lose Home Opener in A Close One [AUDIO]

It was one of the better games the Buffalo Bills have played against the New England Patriots in recent years, but in the end the result was the same.

The Patriots hit on a 35-yard field goal with five seconds to play to beat the Bills 23-21 in the season opener.

Disappointed? Nobody was more disappointed than Bills head coach Doug Marrone.

He says they had their chances, but in the end the big difference was in penalties -- 10 for the Bills against four against the Patriots. The ones against the Bills always seem to come at critical times to take away big plays. It's just a continuation of what happened all preseason. The Bills keep taking penalties, and that's one big area they have to address.

Fred Jackson says he knows it's an excuse that fans have heard before, but they beat themselves.

The Bills defense gave up a lot of yards, but made some big plays with two fumble recoveries and an interception. Da'Norris Searcy's 74-yard return of a fumble in the second quarter put the Bills on the board, and Justin Roger's interception of a Tom Brady set up EJ Manuel's first touchdown pass of the season just before halftime to close the Patriots lead to 17-14.

The Bills took the lead 21-17 after driving 80 yards after the second half kickoff but couldn't put any insurance points on the board. Newly acquired Jim Leonard says they made some big plays but needed more.

So the Bills make it a closer game than the so-called experts thought. It's the sixth time in history the Bills have hosted the Patriots in the home opener, and the series is now tied at 3-3. But for Kyle Williams, he's sick of losing and sums up what most Bills fans feel.

The Bills remain home to host Carolina next Sunday.