University of Kwazulu-Natal

Drake Maye Makes Nfl History With Patriots Shocking Upset Of Bills

Bonisiwe Shabane
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drake maye makes nfl history with patriots shocking upset of bills

The New England Patriots entered their Week 5 Sunday Night Football matchup against the Buffalo as significant underdogs. Not only were the Patriots on the road, but they were also going up against the undefeated Bills and the reigning NFL MVP, Josh Allen. None of that fazed Drake Maye, however, who led New England to a shocking 23-20 upset in his first career primetime game. The 23-year-old quarterback delivered one of the best performances of his young career thus far, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and a 101.1 passer rating. He also added 12 yards on three rushing attempts. The big key for Maye was not making any major mistakes.

He didn’t turn the ball over and played a clean game, hitting 73.3% of his passes and keeping the chains moving. Meanwhile, Allen turned the ball over twice via an interception and a fumble. He played well otherwise with over 300 total yards (passing and rushing) and two touchdown passes, but it wasn’t enough. For decades now, it’s seemed like the Buffalo Bills and New England Patriots have been ships passing in the void – which is typically what the AFC East is otherwise. But the Pats’ 23-20 upset win Sunday night in Orchard Park in front of a prime-time television audience offers fresh promise that these two franchises might finally be headed for a potentially entertaining collision... Second-year quarterback Drake Maye was nearly perfect after halftime, connecting on 13 of his 14 passes for 184 yards and putting New England in position for Andy Borregales’ game-winning field goal with 15 seconds...

Seems Maye, who passed for 273 yards in sum Sunday, has learned a few things amid his growing personal relationship with Bills counterpart and reigning league MVP Josh Allen. “He's just the ultimate,” Maye said of Allen last week. “He wants the ball in his hands to win the game. With the game on the line, the ball is in Josh's hand a lot, and he ends up making the play. That's what I've learned.” And if the former divisional rulers toppling the current ones wasn’t enough – though Buffalo (4-1) remains a game up on New England in the divisional table – there was also the return of...

October 6, 2025 / 1:24 AM EDT / CBS Boston The New England Patriots sent a message to the NFL on national television Sunday night. A few messages, actually. In upsetting the Buffalo Bills at Highmark Stadium, defeating the last undefeated team in the league, the Patriots put the rest of the NFL on notice. Drake Maye had his breakout game for the Sunday Night Football crowd, showing the world that he has indeed arrived. Stefon Diggs showed everyone he still has what it takes to be a No.

1 receiver in the league. Mike Vrabel's defense showed it's going to continue to make plays in key moments, and New England's special teams showed it will keep making an impact as well. The New England Patriots are now 3-2 after becoming the first team to beat the Bills, 23-20, this season. It wasn't perfect, as the Bills came back and made Maye and company make plays in the final minutes of the contest. But the Patriots made the plays they had to in those key and clutch moments. They did so on the road, against last year's reigning MVP and a team with a Super Bowl run on its mind.

Sunday night is the biggest win for the Patriots since the days of Tom Brady. Phil Perry, Tom E. Curran and Ted Johnson share instant reaction to the Patriots’ gutsy 23-20 win over the Bills The New England Patriots walked into Highmark Stadium as heavy underdogs against the undefeated Buffalo Bills, but emerged with a stunning 23-20 upset win on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. This game had it all, from a low-scoring, fumble-filled first half to Drake Maye and Josh Allen trading touchdown drives in a high-scoring second half. But the Patriots got the last laugh.

After Matt Prater’s game-tying field goal with 2:17 remaining, Drake Maye led New England's offense 37 yards in seven plays to set up Andy Borregales' 52-yard, go-ahead field goal with 15 seconds remaining. Check out our live blog below for a full game recap with postgame analysis and more: The New England Patriots pulled off the biggest shock of Week 5, stunning the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills 23-20 on Sunday Night Football. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye orchestrated a masterful game-winning drive, while Stefon Diggs tormented his former team in an emotional homecoming that sent shockwaves through the AFC East. Maye, making his first prime-time start, completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and delivered when it mattered most. The 23-year-old quarterback went 6-for-6 for 90 yards in a perfect fourth quarter, capping the night with a 37-yard game-winning drive that set up Andy Borregales’ 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds remaining.

The drive began with perhaps the play of the game – Maye somehow finding Diggs for a 12-yard completion while defensive lineman DaQuan Jones had the quarterback in his grasp and was bringing him... It was the kind of magic that championship teams are built on. Stefon Diggs made his return to Buffalo count in spectacular fashion, catching 10 passes for 146 yards against the team that traded him to Houston just months ago. The veteran receiver became the first Patriots player with consecutive 100-yard games in the same season since Julian Edelman in 2019. “It was lit. Electrifying.

When it gets loud, it kind of gets quiet for me. They love you one day, they hate you the next, they can love you again.” The New England Patriots have beaten the Buffalo Bills 23-20 on the road, knocking off the final remaining undefeated team in the NFL this season. Rookie Patriots kicker Andy Borregales hit a 52-yard field goal in the final seconds to complete the upset victory. Drake Maye dazzled for the visitors, throwing for 273 yards and making several highlight-reel plays. Stefon Diggs caught 10 passes for 146 yards in his first game at Highmark Stadium since leaving the Bills after the 2023 season, while Rhamondre Stevenson rushed for two touchdowns.

Josh Allen threw for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the loss, but committed two turnovers as Buffalo lost the turnover battle 3-1. The Patriots improved to 3-2 and pulled within one game of the AFC East-leading Bills, who fell to 4-1. When was the last time you saw a rookie quarterback march into Buffalo’s house and steal a victory from Josh Allen? Well, Sunday night gave us exactly that kind of magic as Drake Maye and the New England Patriots pulled off one of the most stunning upsets of the season, knocking off the Bills 23-20... This wasn’t just any win for the Patriots. This was the kind of statement victory that changes the trajectory of a season and makes you believe in the impossible again.

Let’s be honest – nobody expected much from a rookie quarterback making his first primetime start against the reigning MVP. But Maye didn’t just show up; he showed out. The 23-year-old quarterback completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards, displaying the kind of poise and playmaking ability that makes scouts salivate. The moment that’ll be replayed on highlight reels for weeks? That game-winning drive with 2:12 left on the clock. With Defensive Lineman DaQuan Jones literally dragging him to the ground, Maye somehow managed to find Stefon Diggs for a crucial 12-yard gain.

It was the kind of play that separates franchise quarterbacks from mere mortals. “It’s storybook,” Maye said about Diggs’ performance. “Coming back here, first game since the trade, primetime – you could see it all week. He just loves football.” Speaking of storybook moments, how about Diggs returning to Buffalo and absolutely torching his former team? The veteran receiver caught 10 passes for 146 yards, becoming the first Patriots receiver to post consecutive 100-yard games since Julian Edelman back in 2019.

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