Patriots 29, Bills 26: Maye and Chism Steal One in Buffalo

The answer

New England beat Buffalo 29 to 26 because Drake Maye kept attacking after two first half turnovers, the Patriots won enough of the hidden possessions, and the defense made the only takeaway of the final two minutes. Efton Chism III's one handed 23 yard touchdown with 1 minute 50 seconds left put New England ahead. Craig Woodson intercepted Josh Allen 45 seconds later, and a third and 10 conversion to Hunter Henry allowed the Patriots to run out the clock.

The road upset moved New England to 2 and 2 and dropped Buffalo to 3 and 1. It also gave the Patriots a meaningful divisional result rather than a cosmetic early season improvement. The fantasy takeaway is that Maye's aggressive role supports QB1 weeks, while Buffalo's skill players remain useful even when the offense does not control the game.

A game of answers

The quarter scoring was New England 7, 7, 7 and 8; Buffalo 0, 17, 0 and 9. New England opened the scoring on a 14 yard touchdown from Maye to Romeo Doubs. Rhamondre Stevenson added a 1 yard touchdown before halftime. Buffalo answered through Josh Allen's 2 yard scoring run. New England scored again through Doubs, while Tyler Bass field goals, a Keon Coleman touchdown and James Cook's work kept Buffalo close.

Maye's final touchdown to Chism came after Buffalo had turned a 21 to 17 deficit into a 26 to 21 lead. New England did not settle for playing for a field goal. Chism won at the catch point, Stevenson converted the two point attempt, and the Patriots forced Allen to chase a touchdown rather than a field goal.

The final defensive sequence mattered because Buffalo had moved the ball efficiently enough to expect another chance. Woodson read Allen and finished the takeaway. New England still needed one first down. Maye found Henry on third and 10, a high leverage conversion that prevented Allen from getting the ball back.

Verified production

New England finished with 405 total yards to Buffalo's 340 and held the ball for 33 minutes 41 seconds. The Patriots ran for 143 yards and allowed 91. They converted 5 of 12 third downs and both fourth down tries. Buffalo went 6 of 12 on third down and converted its only fourth down attempt. Each quarterback was sacked once, and each team lost two turnovers.

Maye completed 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He also ran eight times for 54 yards. Stevenson carried 13 times for 47 yards and a touchdown, then added the decisive two point conversion. TreVeyon Henderson added 42 rushing yards on 14 carries. Maye's mobility made the entire rushing profile more difficult to defend.

Allen completed 23 of 33 passes for 253 yards, one touchdown and one interception. He scored once on the ground. Cook carried 12 times for 75 yards and a touchdown. Coleman caught the 34 yard scoring pass. Buffalo's output was credible, but the Bills had only 26 minutes 19 seconds of possession and did not get the final answer.

Turnovers and availability

Carlton Davis forced a Khalil Shakir fumble and Elijah Ponder recovered it. New England also gave Buffalo short fields with an interception and a lost fumble. The Patriots survived because their offense created four touchdown possessions and the defense produced the late Woodson interception.

New England entered without cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive lineman Christian Barmore. Charles Woods was injured during the game and Kindle Vildor replaced him. The Patriots did not dominate pressure, but they avoided repeated negative plays that would have let Buffalo's pass rush control the fourth quarter.

Fantasy football impact

Scoring format: half PPR. Maye is a weekly QB1 option when his designed and scramble volume remains this high. Three passing touchdowns and 54 rushing yards create a strong ceiling even with an interception. Henry remains a dependable tight end starter because the sealing third down catch reinforces his trust role.

Stevenson is an RB2 with touchdown value. His 13 carries were not overwhelming, but the goal line score and two point conversion show that New England still trusts him in compressed field situations. Henderson is a flex and high value contingency back. Chism is a deeper league waiver target rather than an automatic starter until route and target volume repeat.

Allen remains an elite QB1. One late interception does not change his combination of passing volume and goal line rushing. Cook is a firm RB1 or high end RB2 after 75 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries. Coleman remains an upside wide receiver starter, while Shakir's fumble is a game event rather than a reason to abandon his role.

Conclusion and next checkpoint

The strongest counterargument is that Buffalo committed two turnovers, played without controlling possession, and still led late. A cleaner Bills game could produce a different result. Football Nation conclusion: New England showed its young quarterback can win a high leverage road game rather than merely post encouraging numbers. The next checkpoint is whether the Patriots reduce early turnovers without making Maye passive.

Sources and factual cutoff

Checked October 4, 2026 at 3:44 p.m. Central. Official score and game state: https://www.nfl.com/games/patriots-at-bills-2026-reg-4

Decisive sequence and availability: https://www.patspulpit.com/new-england-patriots-game-recaps/111228/patriots-bills-week-4-game-recap