The New England Patriots stormed into Orchard Park and stunned the Buffalo Bills at the new Highmark Stadium on Sunday.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye snapped his recent skid and outdueled Bills quarterback Josh Allen en route to a 29-26 victory. With the win, the Patriots climbed back into the AFC East divisional race and improved to 2-2 on the season.
They also regained confidence after ugly outings against the Seattle Seahawks and Jacksonville Jaguars caused many to sour on the team's 2026 chances. Keep in mind that they were playing without two of their best defensive players, Christian Gonzalez and Christian Barmore, and still managed to come away with the upset victory.
Here are the studs and duds from the Week 4 win:
STUD: QB Drake Maye
This was the Drake Maye
that Patriots fans remembered from last season. He was back to being the poised gunslinger who made crucial plays with his legs and his arm. Granted, there were too many near fumbles that could have turned Sunday's game disastrous for New England, but Maye overcame all of it for a game-winning drive late in the fourth quarter to knock off Josh Allen and the Bills on the road.
Not bad.
STUD: WR Efton Chism III
Efton Chism III was finally unleashed for the rest of the world to witness one of the best-kept training camp secrets. The second-year wideout hauled in a ridiculous one-handed touchdown grab on a game-winning drive late in the fourth-quarter to give the Patriots the final lead. Chism got more opportunities after veteran Mack Hollins left the game with a calf injury. Perhaps he'll finally see an uptick in snaps after Sunday's performance.
TOUCHDOWN PATRIOTS.
— NFL (@NFL) October 4, 2026
What a catch by Efton Chism III to take the lead!@NEvsBUF on CBS/Paramount+
Stream on @NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/DtIZoenYNL
DUD: OL Morgan Moses
It has been a rough start to the season for Morgan Moses, who is aging and battling injuries. One has to believe that the Patriots had him in mind when using a first-round draft pick on Caleb Lomu. Moses struggled on the field in Sunday's game against the Bills. If Lomu continues to improve, there might be an opportunity for the young offensive lineman to leapfrog the veteran in the future.
STUD: CB Carlton Davis
With Christian Gonzalez sidelined with a shoulder injury, Carlton Davis stepped up as the No. 1 cornerback for the Patriots. The veteran also contributed in a key punch-out, along with Robert Spillane, that forced a fumble by Bills receiver Khalil Shakir. This was by far Davis' best performance of the season.
STUD: WR Romeo Doubs
The connection between Maye and Romeo Doubs isn't perfect, but it is slowly improving. Maye connected with Doubs on two passing touchdowns against the Bills. In a world with no A.J. Brown, the Patriots are going to need more performances from Doubs like the one he had on Sunday. He finished the game with six catches for 58 yards and two touchdowns.
STUD: EDGE Elijah Ponder
Patriots edge rusher Elijah Ponder had himself a day against the Bills with four tackles, one sack, two quarterback hits and one fumble recovery. The former undrafted defender has emerged as a key defensive contributor for the Patriots at a time when they're facing serious depth issues on the edge.
DUD: Rushing attack
The Bills' defense has struggled against the run this season, but the Patriots have been so bad at running the ball that it didn't even matter. Rhamondre Stevenson had 13 carries for 47 yards and a touchdown, while TreVeyon Henderson had 14 carries for 42 yards. The team has struggled to get anything going consistently on the ground. Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels might have to get more creative with the play-calling, the offensive line has to block better and the running backs need to execute better to get things back on track.
STUD: S Craig Woodson
Welcome back, Craig Woodson. After missing last week's game, Woodson netted three tackles, one pass deflection and an interception late in Sunday's game against Allen. The second-year defensive back stepped up on a day when the secondary was missing Gonzalez.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Studs and duds in Patriots 29-26 upset win over Bills
