The New England Patriots just pulled off one of their biggest wins of the young season, going into Buffalo and defeating the Bills 29–26.
This was a back-and-forth divisional battle that came down to the final minutes. Buffalo appeared to have taken control when Josh Allen found Keon Coleman for a 34-yard touchdown to give the Bills a 26–21 lead with 4:39 remaining.
Drake Maye had other ideas.
The Patriots quarterback responded with the biggest drive of the game, eventually finding Efton Chism for a 23-yard touchdown with 1:55 remaining. New England then went for two, and Maye connected with Rhamondre Stevenson to make it 29–26.
Buffalo still had time.
But instead of another Josh Allen comeback, the game ended with the Patriots defense making the decisive play. Allen was intercepted by Craig Woodson with 1:14 remaining, allowing New England to run out the clock and leave Buffalo with a huge divisional victory.
First Quarter
New England struck first.
Maye connected with Romeo Doubs for a 14-yard touchdown midway through the opening quarter, giving the Patriots an early 7–0 advantage.
That would be the only scoring of the quarter as New England’s defense kept Buffalo off the board.
Second Quarter
The Bills responded immediately to begin the second.
James Cook punched in an eight-yard touchdown to tie the game at seven, but New England answered with another touchdown drive. Stevenson scored from one yard out to restore the Patriots’ seven-point advantage.
Buffalo then finally started finding some rhythm offensively.
Allen scored on a two-yard quarterback run with just over a minute remaining in the half, tying the game at 14. The Bills weren’t finished, either. Tyler Bass connected on a 27-yard field goal with five seconds remaining to send Buffalo into halftime leading 17–14.
After trailing for most of the half, the Bills suddenly had the advantage.
Third Quarter
New England came out of halftime and took it right back.
Maye found Doubs for their second touchdown connection of the afternoon, this time from two yards out, putting New England ahead 21–17.
That was the only scoring of the third quarter, setting up a fourth quarter where everything would be decided.
Fourth Quarter
Buffalo opened the fourth-quarter scoring with a 38-yard Bass field goal, cutting New England’s lead to 21–20.
Then came Buffalo’s biggest offensive play of the afternoon.
With 4:39 remaining, Allen connected with Coleman for a 34-yard touchdown. Coleman had been Buffalo’s biggest receiving threat throughout the game and finished with six catches for 115 yards and a touchdown.
Buffalo now led 26–21 and had New England backed into a corner.
Maye responded brilliantly.
With the game on the line, the Patriots quarterback led New England down the field and connected with Chism for a 23-yard touchdown with 1:55 remaining. Instead of settling for a two-point lead, New England went for two, and Maye found Stevenson to make it 29–26.
That left the game in Allen’s hands.
Buffalo needed only a field goal to force overtime, but Allen’s deep pass was intercepted by Woodson at the New England 19-yard line with 1:14 remaining.
Ballgame.
Drake Maye Delivers
This was a massive performance from Maye.
He finished 22-of-37 for 269 yards, three touchdowns and one interception while also leading New England with 54 rushing yards.
More importantly, when New England needed him most, Maye delivered.
Buffalo took the lead with less than five minutes remaining in one of the toughest road environments in football. Maye responded by leading the Patriots to the game-winning touchdown and completing the two-point conversion.
That’s exactly what you want to see from your franchise quarterback.
Doubs caught six passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns, while Hunter Henry added five catches for 62 yards. Stevenson scored on the ground and caught the crucial two-point conversion.
Buffalo Falls Short
Allen didn’t have a terrible game. He completed 23 of 33 passes for 253 yards and a touchdown while adding another score on the ground.
But the final mistake is the one everyone will remember.
With an opportunity to either tie or win the game, Allen threw an interception that ended Buffalo’s afternoon.
Cook was excellent on the ground, rushing for 75 yards and a touchdown on only 12 carries. Coleman was Buffalo’s standout receiver with 115 yards and a touchdown, while Khalil Shakir added 82 receiving yards.
Buffalo averaged 6.3 yards per play, but New England ran 73 offensive plays compared with only 54 for the Bills and controlled possession for more than 33 minutes.
Final Thoughts
What a win for New England.
The Patriots walked into Buffalo, went toe-to-toe with one of the AFC’s best teams and didn’t blink when the Bills took a late lead.
Maye delivered when it mattered most, New England’s offense produced 405 total yards, and the defense finished the job with a game-sealing interception.
For Buffalo, this is a frustrating loss. The Bills had the lead with less than five minutes remaining and had another opportunity after New England answered, but they couldn’t close the game.
Final: Patriots 29, Bills 26.
New England improves to 2–2, while Buffalo suffers its first loss of the season and falls to 3–1.
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