Drake Maye leads Patriots with 3 TD passes in win over Bills

Doug Kyed, Boston Herald on Oct 4, 2026

Published in Football

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ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The New England Patriots might have turned their season around in Buffalo for the second straight season.

On the cusp of having to dig themselves out of a 1-3 start, quarterback Drake Maye delivered a 23-yard strike that backup wide receiver Efton Chism hauled in with one hand for a go-ahead touchdown with 1:50 remaining to give the Patriots lead over the Bills in their brand-new Highmark Stadium. Craig Woodson then came up with a game-sealing interception to secure a 29-26 win as the Patriots are now 2-2.

A loss might have prematurely ended their hopes of capturing an AFC East title. Now, it feels like anything is on the table once again for last year’s Super Bowl runner-ups.

Maye had the rebound game Patriots fans had been hoping for since he came out struggling against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1.

Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. He also led the Patriots in rushing with 54 yards on eight attempts.

The Patriots’ defense began the game strong with a three-and-out. Safety Kevin Byard forced the punt on third down with a pass breakup on a target to tight end Dalton Kincaid.

The Patriots’ offense looked better than they’ve appeared all season on their opening drive with Maye orchestrating a 12-play, 97-yard series, culminating with a 14-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Romeo Doubs. Receivers were schemed open, the offensive line was protecting and Maye looked poised. The run game was still anemic, but it was a strong start for the unit.

The Bills matched the Patriots with their own scoring drive with running back James Cook diving into the end zone on an 8-yard touchdown run to tie the game 7-7 early in the second quarter.

Maye turned the ball over on the Patriots’ second drive, fumbling while attempting a pass with the pocket collapsing around him. The ball was recovered by Bills defensive tackle Greg Gaines after being forced out by T.J. Parker. Patriots offensive linemen Ben Brown, Alijah Vera-Tucker and Will Campbell all allowed pressure on the play.

The Patriots’ defense stepped up and forced a punt on a three-and-out on the Bills’ next series, though.

After a near-fumble on first down, Maye led the Patriots on a six-play, 63-yard touchdown drive. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson scored on a 1-yard dive behind fullback Reggie Gilliam, who returned to the game after dealing with an ankle injury.

The Bills, once again, matched the Patriots’ touchdown with their own to knot the game at 14-14. Some mental errors on the Patriots allowed the Bills to score on a 2-yard sneak from Josh Allen. The Bills faced third-and-goal from the Patriots’ 16-yard line before Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones was called for holding. Head coach Mike Vrabel was then flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for criticizing the call, giving the Bills the ball on the Patriots’ 5-yard line on first-and-goal.

It was an eventful end of the half. The Patriots punted on their next drive. Then the Bills were driving and entering field-goal range when linebacker Robert Spillane forced a fumble on an 8-yard catch from Khalil Shakir that was recovered by Elijah Ponder.

Maye was intercepted on the Patriots’ next offensive play, when Doubs dropped a pass and it careened into Bills cornerback Dee Alford’s arms for the pick. The Bills kicked a field goal on the next play to take a 17-14 lead into the half.

The Patriots started the third quarter strong with a 14-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a 3-yard touchdown catch by Doubs. The Patriots were helped out by a holding penalty on the Bills when Maye was sacked on third down. It gave the Patriots a fresh set of downs at the Bills’ 2-yard line. The Patriots took a 21-17 lead on the series.

The Patriots and Bills traded two punts apiece before the Bills got back on the board with a 38-yard field goal from Tyler Bass to cut the Patriots’ lead to 21-20.

The teams traded punts again before the Bills took the 26-21 lead on a 34-yard touchdown pass from Allen to wide receiver Keon Coleman with 4:27 left in the fourth quarter. Cornerback Charles Woods, who was replacing injured starter Christian Gonzalez, was in coverage on the play. The Bills’ two-point attempt was no good.

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