The stage was set. It was just a matter of what Drake Maye would do when he stepped onto it. With the game knotted at 20, New England took possession with 2:12 left in regulation. From there, the second-year quarterback flashed what made him the No. 3 overall pick just a couple years ago, marching the Patriots 37 yards down the field to set up the go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds left on the clock. Andres Borregales netted the 52-yarder, the defense held in the final seconds and the Patriots pulled off the 23-20 upset on the road over the Buffalo Bills, who entered the game as the last unbeaten team in the NFL.
Both clubs were cold out of the gate, and that sloppiness persisted throughout the first half. In all, there were three turnovers and 10 penalties between these two AFC East rivals, but it was New England who went into the break with a slim field goal lead. Each stabilized to a degree as they traded off touchdowns to begin the second half, but it was the Patriots that pulled away late.
The key swing game during Buffalo's second possession of the third quarter when Marcus Jones picked off Josh Allen inside the red zone. New England then took the ball and moved 90 yards down the field for a touchdown to create a 10-point cushion, which was enough to absorb a late surge by the Bills, who evened the score midway thought he fourth.
After that Buffalo comeback, Maye -- playing in the first prime time game -- had the defining moment of his young career and has thrust New England to 3-2.
Maye completed 22 of his 30 passes on the night for 273 yards, while adding 12 yards on the ground. His go-to target was Stefon Diggs, who piled up 10 receptions for 146 yards in his return to Buffalo. Meanwhile, Allen finished 22 of 31 for 253 yards, two touchdowns and an interception.
Play of the game
There were two plays during New England's final drive that are worth mentioning here. Of course, Andres Borregales' 52-yard field goal is what put the Patriots ahead, and was remarkably clutch. Borregales had only netted 80% of his field goals this season coming into Week 5, so Mike Vrabel was putting a lot of trust in his kicker in what was the biggest spot of the club's season. And he passed with flying colors.
While that was the end result, how the Patriots got there also featured some spectacular plays. Most notably, Maye somehow avoided what would've been a demoralizing sack just before the two-minute warning, and zipped a pass to Diggs for 12 yards while being dragged to the ground. That pass moved the chains closer to midfield.
Check it out from this angle.
Special stuff from the sophomore quarterback.
Stefon Diggs balls out in return to Buffalo
One of the key storylines in this game was the return of Diggs. The wideout was playing his first game back at Highmark Stadium since being traded by the Bills during the 2024 offseason. This homecoming resulted in Diggs' best game as a New England Patriot, logging a season-high 146 yards on 10 catches (12 targets). He was the catalyst for a number of scoring drives, including New England's final touchdown of the night as he brought the offense down to the 4-yard line.
Bills hurt themselves
As much as the Patriots should be praised for pulling off the upset, we can't ignore the self-inflicted wounds by the Bills either. In the first quarter alone, Buffalo committed five penalties and turned the ball over twice to help give New England momentum. For the game, they finished with 11 accepted penalties for 90 yards and had three total turnovers. The most damming turnover came in the final minutes of the third quarter. It felt as if the offense was finally in-tune after scoring a touchdown on its previous possession and has driven down to the New England 19-yard line to recapture the lead. However, Allen tried to force the ball over the middle to Khalil Shakir and the route was jumped by Patriots corner Marcus Jones, who pulled off the diving interception.
The Patriots followed that pick with a 90-yard touchdown drive to take a 20-10 lead.
