Just when it felt like the sky was falling in New England, the Patriots responded. Questions about quarterback Drake Maye were piling up, and some fans were even wondering whether coach Mike Vrabel was still the right man for the job. Then the New England Patriots went out Sunday and beat the red-hot, previously undefeated Buffalo Bills.

The truth is, this was more than one win. New England looks like a contender in the AFC East and potentially in the entire AFC. So let me bring you up to speed on the winners and losers from a huge afternoon for the Patriots.

View this post on Instagram

Patriots winners against the Bills

Edge rusher Elijah Ponder

Ponder has been a revelation to start the 2026 season, and that continued against Buffalo. He finished with a sack and a fumble recovery, but the box score doesn’t tell the whole story.

Ponder gave Bills offensive tackle Dion Dawkins fits the entire afternoon. Dawkins is a very good tackle and arguably Buffalo’s best offensive lineman, so that matchup was not supposed to look like that. Ponder has turned into a great addition for the Patriots.

Linebacker Robert Spillane

The same goes for Spillane. He led the team in tackles and came up with a huge forced fumble that changed the complexion of the game and helped New England flip the momentum.

We know what Spillane brings to the middle of this defense. He deserves all the recognition in the world for this one.

Wide receiver Romeo Doubs

At times this season, Doubs has looked like he’s out there doing cardio, and the frustration around his production has been fair.

Well, he just had his best game as a Patriot, catching six passes for 58 yards and two touchdowns. In fact, he could have had two more catches with slightly better throws from Maye, and one of those targets turned into an interception. Even so, Doubs looked like the receiver New England signed in free agency.

Wide receiver Efton Chism

I know Ja’Marr Chase made a catch earlier this season that will probably go down as the catch of the year, between the balance and the body control. Chism’s grab is going to be a close second.

He went up and extended for a one-handed catch in a high-leverage moment with everything on the line. A loss there could have been devastating for the Patriots. Chism is undoubtedly a winner.

Quarterback Drake Maye

The interception was a blemish, but Maye played his best game of the season. He used his legs a lot more than in recent weeks, which, to be quite honest with you, has been a quiet superpower of his.

More importantly, Maye was sharp within the pocket and within structure, especially in the second half. He looked dialed in, confident, and poised for the first time this season. On top of that, he did it without AJ Brown, his alpha and top boundary receiver. That is a great sign for New England.

Patriots loser against the Bills

The fourth-quarter defense

For three quarters, the Patriots defense did a phenomenal job. It limited running back James Cook and the run game, kept quarterback Josh Allen in check on his keepers, and took away the explosive plays.

The message to the Bills was clear. If you’re going to beat us, you’re not going to run the football the way you want, and you’re not going to take shots over the top. You’re going to have to dink and dunk your way down the field.

Buffalo did a good job of that, but in the fourth quarter, it was like the Red Sea parted. The Patriots started giving up chunk plays, and that can’t continue.

The bottom line is New England got the win, so it didn’t matter on Sunday. But the way I see it, the fourth quarter is the one area this defense has to clean up if the Patriots want to back up their contender status.