7 Takeaways From Patriots' Gutsy Come-From-Behind Win over Bills

BUFFALO — It's like last season's lightning struck again.

With the New England Patriots heading in a tough environment against the undefeated Buffalo Bills, they got several big plays to put out a thrilling victory. Nearly one year later, it happened again, as this year's iteration scored four times to the tune of a 29-26 upset win.

It wasn't pretty by any stretch of the imagination. But a win is a win, and the Patriots are back at .500 after what was a sloppy first month of the season. After a 34-yard touchdown from Josh Allen to Keon Coleman gave the Bills a five-point lead, an impressive one-handed snag from Efton Chism III gave the Patriots a thrilling victory.

Here's what happened, and what it means moving forward:

1. Maye-To-Doubs Connection Clicks

On the Patriots' first drive of the game, both Drake Maye and Romeo Doubs had big roles to play. The team was driving down the field, picking up four first downs. Then came a fourth-and-three deep into Buffalo territory. The Patriots decided to keep the offense on the field, and Maye hit a wide-open Doubs for 15 yards.

New England Patriots wide receiver Romeo Doubs — Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; New England Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams #97 makes a catch for a touchdown as Buffalo Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston #1 defends during the first quarter at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One play later, Maye just got the ball out of a collapsing pocket and found Doubs leaping up over Bills cornerback Maxwell Hairston for the touchdown. It was Doubs' first as a Patriot, and it wouldn't end there.

On the Patriots' first drive of the second half, Doubs caught three passes — including one on fourth down — and capped off the series with a two-yard touchdown on a fade route. He ended the day with six receptions for 58 yards and those two scores, and started to put together some productive plays after a relatively quiet start to the season.

2. Run Defense Meets Expectations ... To Start

After a couple weeks of getting gashed on the ground, the Patriots were able to settle in and control the line of scrimmage. But that didn't last forever.

Bills running back James Cook ran his way to 75 total yards (with one touchdown). Josh Allen also added a two-yard sneak in the closing moments of the first half to tie the game at 14, but wasn't much of a factor using his legs in the second half.

The Bills finished with 87 rushing yards, and Cook sprinted his way to three carries of more than 10 yards in the second half. His speed, dormant in the first half, was a big reason why Buffalo had the lead so late.

3. Another Week, Another Turnover

Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Buffalo Bills cornerback Dee Alford (23) celebrates after an interception during the second quarter against the New England Patriots at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's plagued the Patriots for the first three games of the season, and it didn't get any better this week. Maye — c oming into the game with an NFL-leading seven turnovers — made another poor play. With the offensive line getting pushed back, Maye tried to cock his arm and throw his way out of pressure.

That idea didn't work. There were too many Bills defenders in the area, and Maye's arm hit the back of left tackle Will Campbell. The ball falls to the ground (the strip sack was credited to T.J. Parker) and the Bills took over.

It was Maye's second lost fumble in as many weeks, and he almost lost another on the next drive (it was overturned after a review showed it was an incomplete pass instead of what would have turned into a Bills scoop-and-score).

But with 16 seconds left and the ball, another turnover came back to bite the Patriots. Maye tried to hit Doubs on a slant, and a low throw forces the receiver to head towards the ground. As Doubs tried to secure it, the ball pops out of his hands and into the waiting arms of Dee Alford. Maye's seventh pick of the season. When it rains, it pours.

4. Bills Stampede Back Late, But Not For Long

With the Bills down 21-20 with 6:36 left in the fourth quarter, they started to gain some momentum. Cook rushes for 16 yards up the gut and then Allen did MVP things. A 34-yard touchdown strike to Coleman deep across the middle sent Highmark Stadium into a frenzy.

They wouldn't be able to convert on a two-point try (Allen tried to find Joshua Palmer), so the lead would remain at 26-21 when the Patriots took over. On their ensuing drive, the Patriots had a big drive of their own.

The result? A gorgeous ball from Maye to Efton Chism III — who snagged it one-handed to score his second-career touchdown. Tack on a two-point conversation, and the Patriots reclaimed the lead once more.

The Bills could have had a shot to win the game, but under duress, Allen heaves up a prayer that Patriots safety Craig Woodson came down with. It was Woodson's second career pick, and first in a regular season game. It couldn't have come at a bigger time.

5. Will Campbell Struggles

The second-year offensve tackle has been really good to begin this 2026 season. Sunday was not his best performance.

Campbell allowed five pressures in the first half and had a costly holding penalty to negate a Maye rushing first down. The Bills defensive front had a productive game, limiting New England's running backs to just 3.2 yards per carry.

6. Rhamondre Stevenson Rewrites NE Record Book

New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson — Oct 4, 2026; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Rhamondre Stevenson #38 of the New England Patriots takes a hand off from Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots during the first quarter against the Buffalo Bills at New Highmark Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Personally, it was a great day for the Patriots running back. He entered the game with 3,785 rushing yards, and after a six-yard run in the first quarter, Stevenson moved past Hall of Famer Curtis Martin (3,799) for fourth-most in franchise history. He ended the afternoon with 47 yards, boosting his career total to 3,832.

He also moved up on the Patriots all-time scoring leaderboards, as his one-yard score (and 29th in his carer) in the second quarter tied BenJarvus Green-Ellis for eighth-most in franchise history.

7. More Injuries To Deal With

With a long injury report heading into this game, and two big names already out with shoulder injuries (Barmore, Christian Gonzalez), the Patriots couldn't afford more bad luck in the health department. In the first quarter, fullback Reggie Gilliam headed to the locker room and was later listed as questionable to return with an ankle injury. He had come into the game carrying a questionable designation for a knee injury.

Gilliam would return to the game and help lead block for Rhamondre Stevenson on the team's second score.

Later in the game, Mack Hollins would leave the game with a calf injury. He wouldn't return after being listed as questionable. Charles Woods (shoulder) and Eli Raridon (ankle) would also get banged up in the fourth quarter.

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