The New England Patriots gave the Buffalo Bills a lot to stew over following their 29-26 upset victory on Oct. 4.
For Bills outside linebacker Bradley Chubb, a big frustration was trying to keep Drake Maye from escaping the pocket.
Maye hurt Buffalo through the air with 269 yards and three touchdowns, but his legs created another headache. The Patriots quarterback finished as New England’s leading rusher with 54 yards, marking his sixth career game with at least 50 rushing yards, according to the Patriots’ official game notes.
Chubb acknowledged afterward that the Bills had specifically emphasized keeping Maye contained. That preparation didn’t prevent the 24-year-old from repeatedly finding daylight.
Chubb Admits Maye’s Scrambling Frustrated Bills
Speaking after Buffalo’s first loss of the season, Chubb was asked about Maye’s ability to escape the rush.
“It’s very frustrating,” Chubb said in his official Bills postgame media availability. “And he doesn’t look like he’s running fast, but he pulls away from you, man.”
The veteran pass rusher said Buffalo had made containing Maye a point of emphasis throughout its preparation for the divisional matchup.
“It’s one of those things that we took pride in over the course of the week to not let him out, and we let him out a couple times,” Chubb added.
Those escapes mattered.
Maye established his willingness to run when he picked up 15 yards on a scramble during New England’s opening possession. That drive went 97 yards in 12 plays and ended with Maye finding Romeo Doubs for a 14-yard touchdown.
The Patriots later noted that Maye’s 54 rushing yards were his most since he ran for 62 against the Tennessee Titans in October 2025. His previous season high was 47 yards in the 2026 opener.
Maye’s Mobility Gives Patriots Another Dimension
Maye’s scrambling was especially valuable considering the pressure Buffalo generated.
Patriots.com reported that Maye faced pressure on 42.9% of his dropbacks. Rather than allowing that pressure to derail the offense, Maye consistently found ways to extend plays and finished 22-of-39 for 269 yards with three touchdown passes.
His movement also played a role in New England’s biggest offensive snap of the afternoon.
On the go-ahead touchdown with under two minutes remaining, Buffalo brought pressure and Maye moved to his right to buy time. He eventually found Efton Chism III for a 23-yard touchdown, with Chism making a one-handed grab to put the Patriots ahead.
New England added a two-point conversion from Maye to Rhamondre Stevenson before the defense sealed the victory by intercepting Josh Allen. The win made the Patriots the first visiting team to win at Buffalo’s new Highmark Stadium.
The performance represented a sizable response from Maye after New England’s ugly 36-5 loss to Jacksonville one week earlier, despite Buffalo emphasizing rush-lane discipline to keep the Patriots quarterback contained in the week ahead of the bout.
Chubb’s postgame take made clear how tricky that duty became once Maye started moving.
Patriots’ Drake Maye Frustrates Bills: ‘Doesn’t Look Like He’s Running Fast’