Image courtesy of AP Photos
For the second straight year, the Patriots may have saved their season in Buffalo.
Thanks to a ridiculous one-handed Efton Chism III touchdown catch with 1:50 remaining, an interception from Craig Woodson on the ensuing drive and a huge first down catch and run by Hunter Henry to seal it, New England stunned Buffalo 29-26 on Sunday.
Remarkably, it happened with Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore out too.
This was the seventh straight one-possession game between the two AFC East (former AFL) rivals. The Patriots are now 2-2 and very much alive and well. The Bills dropped to 3-1.
“Everyone has to believe that they’re going to be the answer for why we’re going to get back into this thing each and every day that we come to work,” Mike Vrabel said postgame when asked what his messaging was this week.
“That’s what the message was and that’s what the message will continue to be. Whether that’s examples that we can show them, other guys stepping up, other guys stepping in. But, you have to prepare every week like you’re a starter and you have to believe you’re the reason whether you make one play or 15 plays, that you’re the reason we’re going to win.
“Coaches and players and trainers and the entire building.”
Buffalo took a 26-21 lead with 4:27 remaining after a Keon Coleman 34-yard touchdown catch on a dart from Josh Allen. Drake Maye (22/37, 269 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT, 1 fumble) needed to put something together after so much scrutiny the first three weeks of the season.
And he did.
Maye had huge completions to Romeo Doubs – who had his biggest day as a Patriot with two touchdowns – Hunter Henry and Chism III. Then, facing 3rd-&-5 at the Buffalo 23 with 1:50 left, Maye lofted a ball to the right corner of the end zone, where Chism III made an insane one-handed grab with a defender holding his left, putting the Pats up 27-26. Rhamondre Stevenson caught the two-point conversion for the three-point lead.
Three plays later, Dre’Mont Jones came speeding into the face of Allen and he chucked a ball deep down the left sideline that was picked off Woodson. A 12-yard pass to Henry (5 catches, 62 yards) on 3rd-&-10 from the New England 19 and two kneel downs later sealed it.
“I think we’ve definitely got to build off it,” said Maye, who was clearly as happy as he’s been in a long time at the podium. “This is relieving little bit, but we’ve still got some work left out there. I think we left our defense in some bad positions. We got the ball back twice in that third quarter with a chance to really put it on (Buffalo) and I’m just proud of the way the guys fought.
“Nobody blinked when we were over there on the sideline and they scored and went up 26-21. We just did what we do and just thankful for those guys stepping up, man. Everybody stepping up. We’ve got different guys in there, practicing some of these plays with guys in there, it’s cool when this game just brings people together.
“That’s what makes it so special.”
All things considered, the Patriots had a near perfect start in the first quarter, while the second left plenty of concerns.
The defense opened with an immediate three-and-out and the offense responded with a 12-play, 97-yard drive that ended with Maye firing a 14-yard dart to Doubs (6 catches, 58 yards).
That was New England’s only possession in the first 15 minutes, as Buffalo went on its own 12-play, 62-yard, six-minute march that ended with 14:15 left in the second on an eight-yard James Cook TD run.
Eight plays later with the Patriots knocking on the door again at the Buffalo 23, the fumble issues continued for Maye as he was strip-sacked with the Bills recovering. The Pats defense answered with an immediate three-and-out.
Six plays after that, Rhamondre Stevenson punched in a one-yard TD to make it 14-7, set up by a 26-yard scramble by Maye. A questionable Marcus Jones holding call on third down and an ensuing Mike Vrabel unsportsmanlike conduct flag set the Bills up at the New England six with a minute left in the half. Josh Allen punched in two-yard TD to knot things up again.
“I told him it was a terrible…I’m not going to say…f’ing call,” Vrabel explained. “I’ve said that 87 times since I’ve been a head coach. It was nothing derogatory. You’d have to ask him. I think he was a little sensitive. Once I get the word from upstairs that we feel like it wasn’t a good call – which I’m going to trust Stretch with my life – I probably shouldn’t have swore.
“But, I can tell you in my history of being on the sidelines as a head coach, I’ve said…I apologized to him. The players responded. It was unfortunate and I have to be better in those moments.”
Things got a little nutty in the final minute, with the Pats going three-and-out, taking barely any time off the clock. Buffalo got it back at its own 31 with 29 seconds remaining. Two plays later, it looked like the Bills moved it down into field goal range at the very least, but Robert Spillane and Carlton Davis III combined to strip Kahlil Shakir with Christian Ponder recovering.
On the very next play with 16 seconds left, Maye threw a slant to Doubs at the New England 36. He dove to catch it, popped it up in the air and into the arms of a waiting Dee Alford, who brought it back to the nine-yard line. Tyler Bass kicked a field goal to send Buffalo to the locker room up 17-14.
New England opened the second half with a 14-play, 73-yard drive that chewed up 6:45 and was reminiscent of things they would do in 2025 on the way to the Super Bowl. The Patriots did need some help after being stopped on 3rd-&-goal, getting a holding call on the Bills. The Pats took advantage on 2nd-&-goal when Maye hit Doubs again with a beautifully thrown fade into the back right corner, making it 21-17.
The Patriots had a chance to make it a two-possession game while also killing more clock with six minutes left in the third quarter. Six plays, 18-yards, one first down and 2:59 later, the Pats punted. Erick Hunter got down the field quickly and made a great tackle to make Buffalo begin its next drive at the 10.
Gabe Jacas nearly sacked Allen in the end zone for a safety on the first play, but the magician flipped it behind his back for an incompletion to avoid trouble. Still, the defense forced an immediate three-and-out, giving the ball right back to Maye at the New England 37.
Unfortunately, two runs – one by Stevenson and one by TreVeyon Henderson – on 2nd-&-2 and 3rd-&-1 were stuffed, forcing the Patriots to punt in the final minute.
Buffalo worked its way down inside the red zone to start the fourth quarter, but a huge stand forced a 38-yard field goal with 11:07 remaining, cutting it to 21-20.
A massive Maye scramble on 3rd-&-7 appeared to give New England a key first down with a little over seven minutes remaining, but a terribly-timed Will Campbell hold brought it back. The Pats punted back to the Bills with 6:36 to play.
Josh Allen quickly led a five-play, 80-yard drive that ended with the 34-yard laser to Coleman for a touchdown, The ensuing two-point attempt was no good, setting up the wild final few minutes.
New England returns home for two straight games against the Raiders and Jets starting next Sunday.
And now, the season has an entirely different feel than it did just a hours ago.
“We’ll see. It gets us back in the race,” Vrabel adde when asked what this win means. “Our guys worked extremely hard this week. We knew it was going to be a battle. Josh (Allen) is unbelievable, but I felt like Drake went toe-to-toe with him.
“They have an excellent football team, a great staff and excellent players. We were lucky to get out of here with a win, but it does get us back in the race.”