The New England Patriots recently improved to 2-2 with a thrilling road win over the Buffalo Bills. Drake Maye bounced back in this one, making several key plays down the stretch in order to get his team back to the .500 mark and silence the critics for now.
The play of the day was made by wide receiver Efton Chism III, who extended his arm for a leaping one-handed catch in the end zone late to give New England the lead.
After the play, Chism III came to the defense of his quarterback, who has dealt with plenty of scrutiny so far this season.
“We all believe he's one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Anytime he gives us as receivers or running backs or anyone, be there for him so he can build that confidence in himself… He's an awesome player, an awesome captain and an awesome guy,” said Chism III, per Sports Illustrated on X, formerly Twitter.
Article Continues BelowMaye had stumbled out of the gate to a disastrous start to the 2026 season, culminating in an ugly performance during the Patriots' blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.
Not many were expecting New England to be competitive in Sunday's road game against the mighty Bills, but the Patriots took control of things early, and although they experienced some adversity, Maye looked solid throughout the afternoon and made the clutch plays he needed to in order to seal the win, thanks in large part to the epic catch from Chism III.
The Patriots ended up shutting the door on Buffalo when Josh Allen threw a boneheaded interception on the ensuing possession.
The Patriots will next hit the field next Sunday for a home game vs the Las Vegas Raiders.