The Patriots shocked the NFL world when they upset the Buffalo Bills in primetime on Sunday with a 23-20 win.
Stefon Diggs torched his former team with 10 catches for 146 yards, Drake Maye set up the game-winning drive that ended with a 52-yard Andy Borregales field goal and the Patriots handed the Bills their first loss of the season.
It was a statement win for the Patriots, who now go into Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints with a slew of momentum on their side.
Here’s what those around the NFL are saying about New England’s upset.
ESPN
“Patriots QB Drake Maye said the game would be a “great gauge and checkpoint to see what we’ve got and what we can handle” -- and they gave the five-time AFC East champs all they could handle in an adverse environment in prime time. Given this is just the fifth game of coach Mike Vrabel’s tenure, it reflects progress for his program. At the same time, the Bills were uncharacteristically sloppy -- some of which was caused by the Patriots, but it was also self-inflicted."
Bleacher Report
“During this game, Diggs passionately encouraged his teammates. He vocally expressed his leadership on the sideline and delivered between the white lines, hauling in 10 of his 12 targets for 146 yards.
“The ex-Bills star still gets fired up to face his former team, and he used that emotional fuel to help knock off the league’s last unbeaten club.”
CBS Sports
“The Patriots finally have a QB who can go toe to toe with Josh Allen and Drake Maye proved that on Sunday night. The Pats QB threw for 273 yards and made several spectacular throws during a perfect fourth quarter that saw him go 6 of 6 for 90 yards. Maye got a lot of help from Stefon Diggs, who seemed excited to be getting revenge on his old team. Diggs caught 10 passes for 146 yards and he’s given Maye the type of top-tier target that he lacked last year. For the first time since Tom Brady was in New England, it feels like the Patriots actually have a shot to win the AFC East this year.”
Sports Illustrated
“First and foremost, Drake Maye was off the charts in the second half, completing 13-of-14 passes for 184 yards, going a perfect 6-for-6 for 90 yards in the fourth quarter. His great escape/falling-down throw to Stefon Diggs for 12 yards to start New England’s game-winning drive gave him a signature moment, and he made high-level throw after high-level throw at Highmark Stadium.
“Diggs, too, showed his worth. Even the Patriots saw him as a player who, at this stage of his career, should be almost exclusively a slot—and while that’s probably still the case, he had at least one night of old-school Stef in him on this night, with 146 yards on 10 catches."
The Ringer
“Drake Maye is a star. We’d already seen the signs of Maye’s breakout in New England’s first four games, but Sunday night was a national showcase for the talented 23-year-old QB and he delivered in a 23-20 win over the previously undefeated Bills. Maye’s numbers were perfectly fine—he averaged 9.1 yards per attempt and 0.06 EPA per dropback against Buffalo—but don’t capture how well he played down the stretch. Taking what looked like a dirty hit from Buffalo’s Terrel Bernard, who was flagged for unnecessary roughness, seemed to shock Maye’s game to life shortly before halftime.
“In the second half, after that hit, Maye averaged over 10 yards per dropback with an 86-percent completion percentage. I don’t know if it was a coincidence or a show of Maye’s competitive toughness, but it was an impeccable response on the road against the division favorite in the most watched game of the week.”
USA TODAY
“Mike Vrabel’s first impression as the Patriots coach left many feeling a little empty, as the Patriots stumbled to a 1-2 mark with mistake-riddled setbacks against the Las Vegas Raiders and Pittsburgh Steelers. Yet a 23-20 breakthrough against the Bills gave reason to believe that the many imported pieces are coming together. An uncharacteristicly sloppy outing from Sean McDermott’s crew provided a massive opportunity for New England, which failed to fully capitalize on the errors in the early going.
“But the defense did its part to keep Josh Allen (22-of-31 passing for 253 yards) in check while also bottling up James Cook (49 yards on 15 carries), and Drake Maye did superlative work to fuel Stefon Diggs’ revenge game effort. Now standing at 3-2 after their first back-to-back wins since 2022 with their next three games coming against three one-win teams, the Patriots are shaping up to be serious threat for the wild-card mix.”
NFL.com
“Through four weeks, the Bills had just one turnover. On Sunday night, the Patriots forced three, thanks to a Marcus Jones interception and fumble recoveries by Jaylinn Hawkins and Joshua Farmer . Those turnovers led to 10 points for the Pats and were part of a defensive effort that held the Bills -- boasting the No. 2 scoring offense in the NFL -- to a season-low 20 points. In Mike Vrabel’s first season, the Patriots are trying to put down a winning foundation. Unexpected wins such as these are just what they want and need. A multi-time Super Bowl winner as a linebacker with the Pats, Vrabel saw his squad earn a hard-hitting, ugly, grind-it-out win that can only bode well for what lies ahead.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.