The New England Patriots snagged one of their biggest regular season wins recently, and it wasn’t just any win. Coach Mike Vrabel straight up said it puts them “back in the race,” and honestly, the anxiety around Drake Maye’s game? That’s chilled out for now. This past Sunday’s bounce-back victory over the Buffalo Bills at the brand-new Highmark Stadium was absolutely massive, and it all came down to some wild numbers that tell the whole story.
Maye Unleashed: The EPA Surge That Shook Buffalo
Without a doubt, Maye’s massive Week 4 improvement was the absolute key to the Patriots pulling off this win. Listen, he wasn’t perfect, but the confidence boost, the sharper decisions he was making, and that ball placement? It was all there, clear as day, from last year’s MVP runner-up. Out of every quarterback who logged as many plays as Maye in Week 4, the Patriots’ third-year QB ranked second in expected points added (EPA) at a scorching 0.33.
Think about that for a second. Over the first three games, Maye was rocking the fourth-worst EPA in the entire NFL, sitting at -0.07. The only guys worse than him were Justin Herbert, Aaron Rodgers, and Baker Mayfield, and their teams were a combined 2-7 through those first three weeks. That’s a huge flip!
And we gotta talk about his legs. Maye’s rushing has been straight up prominent this season, and every week he’s proving it’s one of his biggest weapons. He was the lead rusher for New England in this game, pounding it eight times for 54 yards and adding a ridiculous 0.87 expected points per rushing attempt. Compare that to Rhamondre Stevenson at -0.01 and TreVeyon Henderson at -0.14. The Bills literally had no answer for it, letting Maye pick up three first downs with his legs alone, including a insane 26-yard rush where he nearly found the end zone. Zoom out a bit, and the numbers are even more wild: Maye ranks first among quarterbacks in scramble yards with 127, on just 13 runs, which ranks 26th. His running has always been a dangerous part of his game, and so far, defenses just can’t stop it, leading to so many extended drives off broken plays.
Josh Allen’s Ground Game: Nowhere to Run
While Maye was out there doing his explosive run thing, Bills quarterback Josh Allen, the guy who won league MVP back in 2024, did NOT see the same kind of success on the ground he’s totally used to. The Patriots’ defense completely disabled Allen’s scrambling. Through the first three games of the year, he was ripping off 114 rushing yards and getting into the end zone twice in EACH game. But this past Sunday? That was the first time all year he didn’t score multiple times with his legs, and he couldn’t even crack double-digit rushing yards. On five carries, Allen gained a measly 4 yards. That’s his lowest amount in a game since November 20, 2024, when he had just 1 yard against the Titans.
Look, Allen still has that unbelievable arm talent, he can make any throw he wants whenever he wants to. But when you can keep a great rusher like him stuck in the backfield, it makes defending him a whole lot easier, especially since he’s also prone to those costly mistakes here and there. It’s pretty clear the New England defense straight up made the Bills’ superstar impatient, and it showed.
This win is huge for the Patriots, snapping a lot of the early season funk and giving them something big to build on. Can they keep Drake Maye playing with this kind of fire and confidence? That’s the question now, and how they answer it will define their season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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