Drake Maye Gets Much Needed Win In Buffalo

by Robert BluteOctober 5, 2026, 2:05 pm >

New England Patriots QB Drake Maye has drawn a lot of flak recently for his play, especially his touchdown-to-turnover ratio, which was 1 passing touchdown to 7 turnovers before last week’s game against the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots handed Buffalo their first loss of the season in a crucial AFC East battle, putting the Patriots within one game of the 3-1 Bills instead of three games behind.

Maye led the charge with a strong performance and came up big in big moments, including a game-winning drive capped by a one-handed catch from Efton Chism III.

Head Coach Mike Vrabel praised Maye’s toughness and his confidence that he had in the starter. He stuck with Maye after his early-season slump, and it paid off in one of the year’s biggest games.

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“I’m happy for him, I’m proud of him. He deserves all the credit. However things have been, only what we do next matters. Sometimes that’s hard for everybody to understand, but I think he really took that to heart,” said the coach.

Vrabel also praised his leadership and ability to compete after Maye still coughed up two turnovers in their 29-26 win. An interception and a lost fumble will add to his turnover tally this season, but his 269 passing yards and three touchdowns were key to the win.

Fumbles remain an issue for Maye, and he may not be able to get away with them for the rest of the season. Maye only lost one fumble last week, but did have three total (recovering two of them).

The Patriots host the 3-1 Las Vegas Raiders this week, fresh off their primetime loss to their own division rival, the Kansas City Chiefs. The Raiders have surprised so far and beat the Patriots early last season.