Maye leads Pats win as Diggs stars in Buffalo return

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- Quarterback Drake Maye delivered his signature NFL triumph with clutch play down the stretch, and receiver Stefon Diggs was sensational successful an affectional instrumentality to Western New York, arsenic the New England Patriots shocked the Buffalo Bills, 23-20, connected Sunday night.

Maye helped pb the discourtesy connected a last thrust to acceptable up kicker Andy Borregales' 52-yard tract extremity with 15 seconds remaining -- a march that started with Maye someway uncovering Diggs for a 12-yard catch-and-run arsenic antiaircraft lineman DaQuan Jones had him successful his grasp and was bringing him to the ground.

Maye's knack for extending plays, and uncovering Diggs successful cardinal situations, was a important portion of the winning look that snapped the Bills' 14-game location winning streak. Diggs, who played for the Bills from 2020-23 and called it a "nostalgic" nighttime for him, finished with a team-high 10 catches for 146 yards.

"I'm arrogant of some of them," first-year Patriots manager Mike Vrabel said. "Being capable to emotionally travel backmost present for Stef and being successful this happening each week -- a truly bully person for america ... and I deliberation conscionable a truly gutty show from Drake. I conscionable proceed to bask watching him turn and pb this shot team."

Maye, starting his archetypal vocation primetime crippled successful the NFL, finished 22-of-30 for 273 yards successful starring his first-ever game-winning thrust arsenic a pro. He shared a celebratory clasp with Vrabel upon his instrumentality from the locker room, arsenic Vrabel was waiting for each subordinate to congratulate them. He was followed by Diggs, who darted into a celebratory locker country that was chanting "Andy! Andy! Andy!" successful a salute to Borregales, the rookie kicker who drilled the game-winning tract goal.

The Patriots improved to 3-2, portion the Bills -- who person won the past 5 AFC East championships -- dropped to 4-1.

Diggs played a large relation successful 4 of those titles arsenic backmost Josh Allen's go-to people earlier the Bills traded him to the Houston Texans successful April 2024. Diggs played against the Bills past year, but that crippled was successful Houston, truthful Sunday nighttime was his archetypal clip backmost astatine Highmark Stadium.

"It was lit. Electrifying," helium said, aboriginal adding that feeding disconnected raucous crowds "is everything to me."

"When it gets loud, it benignant of gets quiescent for me," said the 31-year-old Diggs, who became the archetypal Patriots receiver to station consecutive 100-yard performances successful the aforesaid play since Julian Edelman successful 2019. "It doesn't fuss maine excessively overmuch -- they emotion you 1 day, they hatred you the next, they tin emotion you again. I spent a batch of clip here. I respect the dynamic. Used to beryllium here. I'm not present nary more. I conjecture I miss you, too."

Just arsenic Diggs helped Allen successful his aboriginal years arsenic Bills quarterback, he's doing the aforesaid for the 23-year-old Maye. Perhaps their champion transportation Sunday nighttime was a 32-yard improvisational fourth-quarter play successful which Maye rolled retired to his right, motioned with his near manus for Diggs to determination further up the field, and past delivered a pinpoint propulsion on the close sideline that the sure-handed Diggs snared.

The Patriots scored a touchdown connected the adjacent play to spell up 13-10 midway done the 3rd 4th -- a decisive effect aft the Bills had scored connected the opening possession of the 2nd half.

"I saw a young backmost instrumentality a measurement successful the close direction," Diggs said. "They did a batch of comparisons during the week, and I fee...