The New England Patriots are coming into Week 4 at a dismal 1-2, with their season already starting to crumble. This is the defending AFC Champions we are talking about, folks, and Drake Maye’s league-high six interceptions are just one piece of the growing mess. It is an absolute stunner to see things fall apart this quickly after what everyone expected for the Patriots.
Drake Maye Is Looking Like a Shell of Himself, and It’s Getting Worse
Three weeks into the season, the Patriots’ situation is looking dire. They barely scraped by the Pittsburgh Steelers for their single win, a game that still showed serious cracks. Then came the brutal 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, where QB Drake Maye coughed up two interceptions and fumbled twice, losing one. Let that sink in, two picks and a fumble lost! Maye, who was a runner-up MVP last season, has a league-high six interceptions already this year. He looks like a total shell of that guy we saw dominate last season, and it’s hard to watch.
The Bills Are Perfect, Even When They Try Not To Be
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Bills are on cloud nine at 3-0, but even they aren’t totally spotless. They had their own turnover issues last week in a 24-16 win against the Los Angeles Chargers, giving the ball away five times: three fumbles lost and two interceptions. But you know what? Great teams find a way to win, and that’s exactly what Buffalo did. No one is happier to see the Patriots struggling than the Bills, who’ve had New England as a roadblock for AFC East titles for two decades. Even last year, with the Patriots supposedly rebuilding, the Bills couldn’t seal the deal as easily as they should have. Now? The AFC East is a different beast. The Patriots are their own worst enemy, the Miami Dolphins might have the worst roster in NFL history, and the New York Jets are, well, the New York Jets.
Maye’s Shoulder and Vrabel Drama Just Add Fuel to the Fire
And if the on-field struggles weren’t enough, there’s drama bubbling around Maye off the field. Reports surfaced this week about issues between Maye and Head Coach Vrabel. Both tried to shut it down fast, with Vrabel even saying Maye was a big reason he took the New England job. But then there are questions swirling about Maye’s shoulder. Vrabel earlier in the week said there were no issues, while Maye was a lot more vague. He insisted the shoulder isn’t why he’s playing poorly, but Wednesday’s injury report listed QB1 as a full participant with a right shoulder injury. All these questions, all this vagueness, it just makes you wonder even more about what’s really going on.
This Sunday, October 4th, at Highmark Stadium, the Bills are rolling in as 7-point favorites, and it’s clear why. This isn’t just another game, this is a chance for Buffalo to push New England deeper into the hole, to prove that the AFC East is truly theirs for the taking now. For the Patriots, this game is a desperate plea for a reset. Can they actually fix their issues, or is their season, and Maye’s confidence, already too far gone?
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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