Here are four takeaways from Sunday’s nightcap:
Drake Maye makes a statement against sloppy Buffalo Bills
On a night that saw an uncharacteristic three turnovers and 11 penalties — eight of which were in the first half — from Buffalo, the second-year QB willed his team to victory against a previously unbeaten Bills squad.
Maye was 22-of-30 for 273 yards. He made several key plays on the game-winning drive, but the one that started it all showed his ability to make plays. Maye stiff-armed the defender and somehow made this throw to Stefon Diggs for the first down prior to the two-minute warning.
Maye was sensational in his primetime debut and showed what he and the Patriots are capable of against the best teams in the league. Now 3-2 with both losses coming by one score, New England should not be taken lightly.
Stefon Diggs goes off in return to Buffalo
In his first start against the Bills after spending a year with the Houston Texans and signing a deal with the Patriots in free agency during the offseason, Diggs made sure to leave an impact.
He started the night with a 15-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage and somehow made this spectacular 32-yard grab to set the Patriots up for the go-ahead TD in the third quarter.
Diggs had 10 receptions for 146 yards (both season-highs) and posted his second straight game with at least 100 receiving yards. After a slow start to the season, Diggs seems to be getting comfortable and turning into a go-to option for Maye, like he was expected to.
Josh Allen shines with time to throw
It was not the cleanest game from Allen, with a fumble and an interception, but he still made plays to keep Buffalo around when it needed him most.
Allen was 22-of-31 for 253 yards and two TDs, including 53 yards on the ground. He excelled when he had time to operate in the pocket. According to the NBC broadcast, Allen was 7-of-7 for 94 yards in the first half when he had over 2.5 seconds to throw, compared to only 2-of-4 for six yards with under 2.5 seconds (h/t Next Gen Stats).
That speaks to how efficient he can be when he has time to examine his options down the field. Aside from one Patriots sack, Allen had more time to operate than not on Sunday night, and he made sure to make them pay when he did.
Fumbles continue to be a problem for Rhamondre Stevenson
After some miscommunication from the Bills led to a fumble and put the Patriots across midfield, Stevenson immediately gave the ball right back to Buffalo with a fumble of his own on the next play early in the opening quarter.
It was Stevenson’s third lost fumble of the season. According to StatMuse, he now has 17 fumbles in his career, including a career-high seven last season.
He put those struggles behind him the rest of the game with New England’s only TDs of the night, including this seven-yard score untouched to extend the lead to 20-10 early in the fourth quarter.