Patriots rally past Bills 29-26 at Highmark Stadium

Maye shakes off turnovers for his best game of the season

Drake Maye turned the ball over twice in the first half, which has been the story of his season so far. He turned it around from there. Maye finished 22 of 37 for 269 yards and three touchdown passes, his first three-touchdown game of the year, as New England beat Buffalo 29-26 on the road. The 29 points matched what the Patriots had managed across their first three games combined.

New England outgained Buffalo 405 yards to 340 and held a 26-19 edge in first downs. Maye also ran for 54 yards on eight carries. Both teams finished with two turnovers, and penalties were close, Buffalo's five for 31 yards against New England's six for 35.

A seesaw night at Highmark Stadium

New England struck first on a 14-yard touchdown pass from Maye to Romeo Doubs. Buffalo tied it in the second quarter when James Cook III scored on an 8-yard run, and the Patriots answered with a 1-yard touchdown run from Rhamondre Stevenson. Josh Allen knotted it again on a 2-yard run, and Tyler Bass kicked a 27-yard field goal just before the half to put Buffalo up 17-14. Doubs caught his second touchdown, a 2-yarder from Maye, in the third quarter to put New England back on top. Bass hit a 38-yard field goal in the fourth to pull Buffalo within one, then Allen found Keon Coleman for a 34-yard touchdown that put the Bills ahead 26-21, though the two-point try failed. Maye drove the Patriots 73 yards on eight plays and capped it with a 23-yard touchdown pass to Efton Chism III with 1:50 left. Stevenson caught the two-point pass from Maye to make it 29-26, and that's how it ended.

Allen and the Bills couldn't hold on

Josh Allen threw for 253 yards and a touchdown on 23-of-33 passing. Keon Coleman caught six passes for 116 yards and the score, and James Cook III ran for 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. None of it was enough. Buffalo fell to 3-1, its first loss under coach Joe Brady and the first at Highmark Stadium this season. Brady kept it simple afterward. "We're not going to make excuses," he said. New England improved to 2-2 and closed the gap on its division rival. Patriots coach Mike Vrabel gave credit both ways after the win. "Gets us back in the race," Vrabel said. "Josh was unbelievable."

Injuries pile up on both sides

Buffalo was already without cornerback Christian Benford, out with a toe injury, and T.J. Sanders, out after surgery. DJ Moore was questionable with a shoulder issue and Dee Alford with an ankle injury. New England was missing cornerback Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore, both out with shoulder injuries, plus Channing Canada with a hamstring issue. Mack Hollins left the game with a calf injury, which is part of how Chism ended up with extended snaps and the game-winning catch. Buffalo sits at 3-1 and New England at 2-2 heading into next week.

Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.