Drake Maye and the Patriots travel to Buffalo this weekend to take on their division rivals, the 4-0 Bills. It’s the Patriots’ first primetime game of the season, kicking off at 8:20 p.m. on NBC’s Sunday Night Football. The matchup also marks the inaugural NFL “Rivalries” game for Buffalo, which will debut its new blizzard-themed whiteout uniforms. The Bills have encouraged fans to wear white to complete the look. However, there’s a slight issue: Sunday’s high in Buffalo is projected at 82 degrees. Not exactly blizzard weather.
The Patriots are riding high after a dominant 42–13 win over the Carolina Panthers, and the hype around Drake Maye has only grown. Maye has elevated his game this season, putting up numbers that stack against some of the greatest quarterback runs in NFL history. He’s currently tied for second all-time in consecutive games with both a 75%+ completion percentage and two passing touchdowns (three straight). The only quarterback ahead of him? Tom Brady in 2007, with four. The quarterbacks tied with Maye are just as legendary: Peyton Manning (2013, 2004), Aaron Rodgers (2011), and Kurt Warner (2001). Every single one of them, aside from Maye, won MVP in those seasons. Does that make Maye the MVP front-runner right now? Not necessarily. However, it does show just how far he has come.
A year ago, Maye was plagued by inconsistency and earned a reputation for turnovers thanks to too many errant throws. This year, it’s a different story. Maye leads the NFL in completion percentage at 83.3% and has been lights out on third and fourth downs, posting a league-best 133.3 passer rating. You don’t achieve those numbers without significant growth in accuracy, processing, and decision-making.
Even Sunday Night Football’s official account (@SNFonNBC) has hyped the matchup, calling it a “must-watch” game. It’s been a while since the Patriots have had this kind of spotlight, and this game will be a real test of whether they can hang with one of the NFL’s elite teams. If the Patriots can keep things competitive and if Maye continues to shine, then Patriots fans should still be pleased regardless of the result.
While much of the attention has been on how Drake will perform in this game, the outcome doesn’t come down to the Patriots’ offense; it comes down to the defense. Maye and the offense have already proven this season that they can move the ball and put up points consistently. The defense, however, has been far more inconsistent. Last week, when the Panthers marched down the field for a touchdown on their opening drive, it marked the third time in four games the Patriots have allowed an opponent to score right out of the gate.
Against Josh Allen (arguably the best quarterback in the NFL), that won’t cut it. If the Bills can score at will, the Patriots won’t be able to keep pace, no matter how sharp Maye looks. For New England to have a real shot, the defense needs to step up and hold Buffalo under 30 points. That’s the bar.
My prediction: a 31–21 loss, but one with plenty of encouraging signs from the offense. Ultimately, I think Buffalo’s firepower will be too much for New England to contain for four quarters, but this game could still show that the Patriots are moving in the right direction.
