The New England Patriots were due for a signature win. It was unexpected that it would happen in Buffalo against the Super Bowl-or-bust Bills, but Mike Vrabel's crew came out of Orchard Park with a 23-20 win that sent a message to the rest of the NFL.
Does this win automatically put the Patriots in that upper echelon with teams like the Bills and the Detroit Lions? No. Drake Maye and company still have a ways to go, but Maye looked every bit like a franchise quarterback in generating a game-winning drive against the Bills.
Yes, fans and media alike need to see this team string together a winning streak to be taken seriously. With the Patriots' next three games coming against one-win teams, a letdown would represent a significant step back. However, for Vrabel, Josh McDaniels, and their team, one of the key takeaways is that the system the coaches are implementing is starting to yield results.
Was Sunday night a STATEMENT win for the Patriots in Buffalo?🤔
— Patriots on CLNS (@PatriotsCLNS) October 7, 2025
"I would say it's a program statement win because it's proof of concept for the coaches,"
"But if people are thinking like this is a statement that the Patriots are a good team right now, I would say not quite yet.… pic.twitter.com/5fSivSjFo2
Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels are putting their stamp on the Patriots
The big priority for Vrabel when he arrived with the Patriots was to get the team to buy into his system. When McDaniels was brought on board, he brought a complicated offense, but also the intelligence to help a young quarterback reach his potential.
The concepts were on display against the Bills, especially offensively.
It's becoming clear that McDaniels is taking the kid gloves off of Maye and opening up the offense to a degree. While it doesn't hurt to have viable targets like Hunter Henry and Stefon Diggs, the Patriots are throwing the ball down the field with much more gusto than they did the last couple of seasons, when their offense ranked at the bottom of the NFL.
Maye compiled an average of 9.1 yards per pass in the win over the Bills, so the second-year quarterback isn't a checkdown Charlie. Yes, he takes the short passes when he needs to, but Henry and Diggs both made clutch catches down the field.
That's the type of offense we're used to seeing from a McDaniels-coached unit. Maye's 73.9 completion percentage is good for second in the NFL. It's been a while since we've seen the Patriots throw the ball down the field with this much regularity.
If Vrabel and McDaniels can continue to put their coaching stamps on these Patriots, the results will be positive.