Drake Maye led the New England Patriots to a 29-26 comeback victory over the Buffalo Bills to improve their record to 2-2. The performance comes immediately after FOX Sports analyst Terry Bradshaw suggested the quarterback should be benched following a difficult three-game stretch .
Drake Maye’s 269-yard comeback against the Buffalo Bills
Drake Maye orchestrated a critical 73-yard, eight-play drive with just 1:50 remaining to secure a victory for the New England Patriots over the Buffalo Bills. This performance moved the Patriots to a 2-2 record on the season. According to the report, Maye finished the contest with 269 passing yards on 22 completions from 37 attempts, including three touchdowns and one interception.
The decisive momentum shifted when Maye connected with Efton Chism III to take the lead , followed by a successful two-point conversion to Rhamondre Stevenson to extend the margin. While the effort was described as up-and-down, Maye's ability to execute during the final minutes provided the necessary spark to silence recent criticism regarding his leadership.
Terry Bradshaw’s call to bench the former MVP candidate
Terry Bradshaw suggested on FOX NFL Sunday that the Patriots should temporarily sit Maye to help him regain his confidence. The FOX Sports analyst pointed to a dismal three-game stretch where Maye threw only one touchdown against six interceptions. As the report notes, Maye's performance against the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Jacksonville Jaguars resulted in a 63 percent completion rate and significant turnover issues.
Bradshaw argued that benching a player does not necessarily mean they are no longer the "No. 1 guy," but rather a way to allow them to leave struggles in the past and move forward. The analyst specifically highlighted a particularly difficult loss to the Jaguars, where Maye threw two interceptions and lost a fumble.
A struggling Patriots offense hampered by A.J. Brown's injury
The New England Patriots' offensive struggles extend beyond Maye's individual statistics to a systemic lack of scoring support. Before this victory, the team had failed to score more than 20 points in any of their first three games, including a three-point outing against the Steelers and a six-point performance against the Jaguars. A major factor in this decline is the absence of top receiver A.J. Brown, who has been sidelined with a sprained ankle since the season opener.
This lack of depth forced Maye to rely on a supporting cast that struggled to maintain consistency throughout the early weeks of the seeason.. Without a reliable primary target like Brown, the Patriots' offensive production has remained uncharacteristically low for a team that recently reached the Super Bowl.
Can Maye sustain momentum against the 3-0 Raiders?
The sustainability of Maye's recent resurgence remains an open question as the Patriots prepare to face the 3-0 Las Vegas Raiders and the New York Jets. While Michael Strahan argued that benching a former Super Bowl-leading quarterback would be difficult, questions remain about whether Maye can maintain this efficiency without a healthy A.J. brown. Furthermore, the team has yet to prove if Maye can avoid the high interception rates that plagued his first three games, or if backup Tommy DeVito will be required to step in if the downward trend resumes.
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