Drake Maye needed one drive to flip the AFC East on its head. The New England Patriots quarterback led an 80-something-yard march in the final minutes, found Efton Chism III for a leaping, one-handed 23-yard touchdown with 1:50 to play, and then hit Rhamondre Stevenson for the two-point conversion as the Patriots beat Bills 29-26 on Sunday in Orchard Park, handing Buffalo its first loss in its new stadium, according to Reuters.
Maye finished 22 of 37 for 269 yards and three touchdowns. Safety Craig Woodson then intercepted Josh Allen’s pass at the New England 19-yard line on Buffalo’s ensuing possession, and the Patriots (2-2) ran out the clock. The Bills fell to 3-1 with their first home loss of the season.
Drake Maye engineers the finish as Patriots beat Bills 29-26
The game-winner was a highlight that will live on NFL reels all week. Facing Buffalo’s defense late, Maye threw to Chism in the end zone, and the receiver rose and snagged it one-handed for a 23-yard score with 1:50 remaining. Maye then connected with Stevenson on the two-point try to give New England a three-point lead rather than two — a decision that shaped the entire final possession.
Down by three, Buffalo needed at least a field goal. Allen drove the Bills into New England territory, but Woodson’s interception at the 19-yard line ended it. The Patriots’ defense, which had bent all afternoon, finally broke Buffalo’s last hope — and New England’s offense closed it out by running the clock to zero.
New stadium, same old heartbreak for the Bills
The loss stings double for Buffalo: it’s the first defeat in the team’s new stadium, and it came against a division rival in a game the Bills largely controlled. At 3-1, Buffalo still sits atop the AFC East, but the aura of home-field invincibility in the new building is gone.
For New England, the Patriots’ 29-26 win over the Bills moves them to 2-2 and keeps them in striking distance in the division. Maye’s third touchdown pass of the day was his most important throw of the season — and Chism, who has been emerging as a weapon, announced himself on the biggest Sunday stage.
The bigger Sunday picture in the NFL
Week 5 delivered drama across the league. In the same Sunday roundup reported by Reuters, the Cowboys needed a last-minute touchdown to cap a big second-half comeback against the Texans — part of a day where the league’s big markets produced the biggest swings. But the result that will echo loudest in the AFC East race is this one.
The Patriots arrived in Orchard Park as underdogs in a matchup that shaped up as a Sunday showdown, and they left with the signature win of their season. For Maye, this was a statement about his place in the AFC’s young-quarterback hierarchy. The third-year passer has flashed talent all season, but engineering a two-minute drill against Josh Allen — in Buffalo, in front of a stadium that had never seen its team lose — is a credential no highlight reel can manufacture.
Chism’s emergence is equally significant for New England. The one-handed grab with 1:50 remaining was a star turn on the biggest regular-season stage the Patriots have played this year, and it gives Maye another weapon beyond the established core. And the decision to go for two — Stevenson converting Maye’s pass — showed a coaching staff playing to win the game rather than settling for a tie, a call that looked prophetic the moment Woodson picked off Allen.
Allen and the Bills now face a short week to regroup before their next test, and the aura of the new stadium has its first crack. At 3-1, Buffalo still holds the division lead, but the Patriots at 2-2 are suddenly alive. The rematch later this season just got a lot more interesting — and the AFC East race just got a lot louder.
FAQ
Who won the Patriots vs. Bills game on October 4?
The New England Patriots beat the Buffalo Bills 29-26 on Sunday, Oct. 4 in Orchard Park, N.Y., in Week 5 of the NFL season.
How did the Patriots beat the Bills 29-26?
Drake Maye threw a 23-yard go-ahead touchdown to Efton Chism III with 1:50 to play, then hit Rhamondre Stevenson for the two-point conversion. Craig Woodson intercepted Josh Allen at the New England 19 on Buffalo’s final drive, and the Patriots ran out the clock.
What were Drake Maye’s stats against the Bills?
Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, according to Reuters — including the game-winning touchdown and two-point conversion in the final two minutes.
Was this the Bills’ first loss in their new stadium?
Yes. The 29-26 loss to New England was Buffalo’s first defeat in its new stadium. The Bills fell to 3-1 on the season while the Patriots improved to 2-2.
Sources: Reuters NFL roundup.
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