After New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye’s stellar performance against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday Night Football, his immediate chemistry with wide receiver Stefon Diggs played a significant role. Handing the Bills their first loss of the 2025 NFL season — 23-20 — the Patriots improved to 3-2. After practice, Maye talked about the difference Diggs makes in contrast to his rookie campaign last season.

For Maye, Diggs makes things easier, he admitted, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.

“I think the biggest thing is that he’s a receiver that’s easy to throw to. He has great hands. He catches different ways – with his body, he turns with the football and makes people miss very easily. It’s very natural,” Maye said. “You can just tell he’s played receiver a long time and played at a high level. So just trying to put it in his vicinity, and he always says, ‘I got you.’ Just trust that and I think it will continue to build and build, and try to get him in the end zone.”

Stefon Diggs caught for 146 yards on 10 receptions while Maye finished 22 of 30 and threw for 273 yards in Sunday’s win against the Bills. In some ways, Maye restored Patriots fans’ faith in the defining early-season victory. On the biggest stage Maye could perform on in a nationally-televised mid-season matchup against the division-leading Bills, Drake rose to the occasion by earning New England’s most impressive win of the young NFL season.

Drake Maye on Patriots’ success vs. Bills

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye hopes beating the Bills will galvanize his team to embark on a potential winning streak after winning two in a row. It was undoubtedly the Patriots’ strongest performance of the young season, as they beat the Bills, who reached the AFC Championship last season, and could be the kind of motivation Maye and his team needed.

Maye sent a message to the Patriots and the Bills during his postgame interview, per Sunday Night Football’s X, formerly Twitter.

“They can’t stop us. I’m trying to get these guys the football and just trying to make positive plays,” said Maye. “But like I said, the defense also played great. What a night.”

The Patriots will face the Saints in their Week 6 matchup on Sunday.