Updated

Updated · BuffaloBills.com · Oct 4

Bills Host Patriots in Week 4 AFC East Opener as 3-0 Buffalo Seeks First Divisional Win

Updated

Updated · BuffaloBills.com · Oct 4

Bills Host Patriots in Week 4 AFC East Opener as 3-0 Buffalo Seeks First Divisional Win

Q: Will Drake Maye's late-game heroics spark a new era of New England dominance in the highly competitive AFC East?

Not yet. Drake Maye’s comeback win in Buffalo was a statement, but it is too early to call it the start of a new era of Patriots dominance. The evidence for optimism is real. New England went from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 and a Super Bowl appearance in 2025, then followed that with a 29-26 road upset of Buffalo in Week 4. Maye delivered in the biggest moments Sunday, throwing the go-ahead touchdown to Efton Chism III, converting the two-point try, and helping erase a late deficit in a hostile setting. That kind of poise is exactly why the Patriots believe he is a franchise quarterback. But the larger body of evidence still argues for caution. New England is only 2-2, and Maye’s 2026 season has been uneven. Through four games, he has thrown 4 touchdown passes against 7 interceptions, and concerns about turnovers and offensive inconsistency have followed him from the season opener into this stretch. Even in the Buffalo win, he also had an interception and a lost fumble. The division itself also makes “dominance” a high bar. Buffalo is still 3-1, still has Josh Allen, and still entered the season as a slight AFC East favorite. The Bills were missing key defender Christian Benford on Sunday, and the race remains tight rather than one-sided. What Maye’s late-game heroics did spark is legitimacy. They strengthened New England’s case as a true contender and made clear the AFC East is now a two-team fight, not Buffalo’s division by default.

3 articles · Updated · BuffaloBills.com · Oct 4

Buffalo opens AFC East play Sunday at 1 p.m. ET, hosting New England at Highmark Stadium in the Bills' third straight home game.
The matchup pits a 3-0 Bills team against a 1-2 Patriots squad trying to steady its season in Buffalo's first divisional test of 2026.
CBS will televise the game with Ian Eagle, Ross Tucker and Evan Washburn, while streaming is available on Paramount+, NFL+ and Sunday Ticket.
The Bills enter after a 24-16 Week 3 win over the Chargers, and the game closes an early three-game home stand with division and playoff implications.