Patriots 29, Bills 26: Chism's One Hand Opens Highmark

October 4, 2026 - Orchard Park - The new Highmark Stadium had not lost a regular-season game yet. Josh Allen had just hit Keon Coleman from 34 yards. Buffalo led 26-21 with 4:27 left. The two-point throw to Joshua Palmer never had a target looking for it.

Drake Maye went 73 yards in eight plays. Efton Chism, in because Mack Hollins had a calf injury, caught a 23-yard ball with one hand at 1:50. Maye found Rhamondre Stevenson for two. 29-26. Craig Woodson high-pointed Allen's heave to Palmer. The New England Patriots became the first visitor to win in the $2.1 billion building. The Buffalo Bills are 3-1. New England is 2-2.

Mike Vrabel called it getting back in the race after a 35-6 loss in Jacksonville. Maye called it not riding the roller coaster. The tape is a 22-of-37, 269-yard, three-touchdown, one-pick, one-lost-fumble afternoon plus 54 rushing yards on eight carries.

Doubs twice, then Buffalo's 17-point second

Maye's first drive covered 97 yards in 12 plays. He scrambled 15. He completed six of his first seven. Romeo Doubs scored from 14, his first touchdown as a Patriot. 7-0. It was New England's first opening-drive score of 2026, per the club notes.

Buffalo put up 17 in the second quarter. James Cook scored on the ground. Allen ran one in. Tyler Bass added two field goals from inside 40. New England still led 14-17 at the half after Stevenson's 1-yard run. Doubs added a 2-yard fade in the third, his second score. 21-17 Patriots. Allen-to-Coleman, the failed two-point, then Chism.

Maye still turned it over twice. The interception on a low slant to Doubs was on him, he said. The fumble, recovered at the Buffalo 30, was on him too. He also hit Doubs twice on fourth down, including a third-quarter out that moved the sticks. Will Campbell told him after the Chism throw that that is who he is. Vrabel handed game balls to Maye, Woodson, Doubs, and Chism, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. Chism is the elevated receiver who might not see that target tree again. He saw it once. He caught it with one hand.

Woodson, Cook, and a 12-yard ice job

Christian Gonzalez (shoulder) and Christian Barmore were out. New England played zone on most of Allen's dropbacks, per the club, and still needed the man-coverage shot at the end: Milton Williams picking for Dre'Mont Jones, Jones looping, Allen scrambling, Woodson taking the ball away from Palmer.

Allen was 23 of 33 for 253, one passing score, one rushing score, one pick, one sack. Coleman caught six for 116 and that 34-yarder. Khalil Shakir had seven for 82 and lost a fumble. Cook ran 12 times for 75 and a score, 6.3 a carry. Dalton Kincaid was held to one catch for 7, the Patriots said. Dee Alford intercepted Maye.

Doubs finished six for 58 and two scores. Hunter Henry caught all five of his targets for 62, including a 12-yarder Maye threw while rolling right to kill the clock from the Patriots' 19. Stevenson ran 13 times for 47 and the 1-yarder, plus three catches for 27 and the conversion. TreVeyon Henderson had 14 for 42.

Gabe Jacas bull-rushed Dion Dawkins into a throwaway from the end zone, per the club observations. Mitch Wishnowsky pinned Buffalo at its 11. Andy Borregales was 3 of 3 on extras and did not attempt a field goal. New England finished with 405 yards and 26 first downs, both season highs, per the AP. Pass protection still allowed pressure on 42.9% of Maye's dropbacks, Next Gen Stats via the Patriots. That is the next problem. Sunday's problem was winning in a new building that had not lost yet.

Joe Brady's first home loss in the new stadium came against a team that had scored two offensive touchdowns in three weeks and scored four on Sunday. The Patriots host Las Vegas next. Buffalo visits the Rams on Monday night.

AthX Engine on a one-handed finish

AthX Engine NFL scoring already has the Week 4 lines in. Maye's three scores, 269 passing yards, 54 rushing yards, and the two-point pass land at 51.02, the top total in this game. Woodson's interception is 40.50. Coleman is 38.00. Alford is 38.00. Allen is 31.24. Doubs is 29.50. Stevenson is 28.00. Cook is 27.75. New England's team line is 68.00.

Fantasy points measure the box. Price is what traders will pay for Maye after the first visitor win at new Highmark, and for an Allen night that still ended on a fourth-quarter pick. They move together. They are not the same number.

Track Maye, Allen, Doubs, Cook, Stevenson, and both clubs on the marketplace. Las Vegas visits New England on Oct. 11. Buffalo visits the Rams on Oct. 12.

*Sources: Patriots game notes, Patriots observations, AP recap (CBS), ESPN. Maye was 22 of 37 in nflverse and the AP recap; a Patriots observations piece listed 22 of 39. AthX Engine Week 4 lines scored from nflverse weekly stats (CC-BY 4.0). Information only; not financial advice.*