Patriots 29, Bills 23

 

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots played well today! That would be reason enough to celebrate right there, but they also won against division rival Buffalo, 29-23, and improve to 2-2 (.500!) and second place in the AFC East.

The win didn't come easy and Buffalo fought hard on their home field. The Pats scored first on their first possession, starting at their own 3-yard line and driving the ball downfield in twelve plays until Drake Maye completed a touchdown pass to Romeo Doubs. This was the old Maye of last season returned to form, not the interception- and fumble-prone Maye of the first three games this year. 

Buffalo tied the game up with a TD midway through the second, but Rhamondre Stevenson took the lead back with a one-yard run into the end zone. The Bills tied it back up again with another TD, and as the half expired they took a 17-14 lead with a field goal. 

Undeterred, Maye connected with Doubs again for a third quarter TD to regain the lead, 21-17, but Buffalo narrowed the lead to one with a FG early in the fourth. The Bills then took a 26-21 lead with another TD (they missed the two-point conversion) with 4:27 left to play. 

 

Maye then ran a Brady-esque drive in the closing minutes to move the ball 73 yards down the field, culminating in a 23-yard passing TD to Efton Chism III; Maye connected with Stevenson for the conversion and a 29-26 lead. On the Bill's next possession, the Pats' Craig Woodson intercepted a Josh Allen pass with 1:14 left on the clock, and the Pats worked the clock to win the game.   

Woo-hoo! The Patriots are back, baby!

Maye finished the game with 269 passing yards and led the Pats with another 54 yards on the ground. Doubs finished with six receptions for 58 yards and Hunter Henry had 62 yards on five receptions. 

Next week, the Patriots will host the Oakland Raiders (3-0, with a 13-10 lead over K.C. in the third right now). I know they're currently based out of Las Vegas, but to fans my age, they'll always be "Oakland." Former Georgia Bulldog Brock Bowers has averaged 66.3 yards per game for the Raiders since 2024 and had 116 yards in the one game he played this season. Veteran QB Kirk Cousins (Michigan State, 2011) is in his first season with the Raiders and so far boasts a QB rating of 107.2, his best rating since 2019.

The early line favors the Patriots by 3½ points.