The New England Patriots got a signature win against AFC East foes, the Buffalo Bills, on Sunday Night Football. A significant part of that win was Stefon Diggs' second consecutive 100-yard receiving game, which is now sparking speculation about his candidacy for the NFL's Comeback Player of the Year award. After a decent start, Diggs is now regaining the form that made him a four-time Pro Bowl wide receiver.
It couldn't have come at a better time for the Patriots and their emerging young superstar quarterback, Drake Maye. Maye is a pinpoint passer, and besides his leaky offensive line and a shoddy running game, the only other thing keeping him from taking the top off the NFL was a true No. 1 receiver. He now has that in Diggs.
As the offensive line coalesces and matures with its two rookie starters on the left side, things will continue to look up on offense with Diggs producing the spark. He's the most talented receiver the Patriots have had since Julian Edelman retired after the 2020 season. He and Maye are now on their way to becoming feared as one of the top quarterback-receiver tandems in the NFL.
Stefon Diggs is making a bold statement for the Patriots
Stefon Diggs started the 2025 season coming off ACL surgery. In the first three games, he played well, but as expected, he was nowhere close to the Diggs of old. But in the past two games, he has obviously been healthy, has regained his old form, and is exploding onto the scene as the No. 1 receiver of old. His stats are revealing.
Stefon Diggs may be in the conversation for Comeback Player of the Year if he continues this pace. pic.twitter.com/Fh89Lv3sm7
— Michael Rodnick (@MJRodnick) October 6, 2025
In the past two games, he caught 19 passes for 247 yards. While he has no touchdowns to show for those yet, he's set up several with his solid receiving. In the game against his old team, the Bills, he exhibited qualities of the Stefon Diggs of old. He walked out of Orchard Park with Bills fans wishing he'd never left, much to the delight of Patriot Nation.
Stefon Diggs' performance against the Bills proved he is back and better than ever
If there was any doubt after the Carolina game that Diggs had recovered from that ACL injury, he dispelled any of it against Buffalo. And it wasn't just in the gaudy statistics he racked up either. It went well beyond that, and it was evident to anyone who saw that performance.
Diggs displayed an explosiveness that no Patriots receiver has displayed other than maybe a few cameos by Marcus Jones on offense in ages. It's been lacking, and the Patriots' offense has suffered as a result. Diggs' play was not only statistically dominant, it was also eye-opening for the NFL.
While his adrenaline was certainly flowing against his old team, Diggs has now clearly regained the form as a now 31-year-old that led him to be one of the NFL's best and most feared receivers. Diggs is averaging just under six receptions per game. If he ups that just a tad, he'll be knocking on the door of a 100-catch season. That's something the Patriots haven't seen since Edelman.
Mike Vrabel had confidence and invested heavily in Stefon Diggs. It was a great signing that's paying dividends now. While recovery from an ACL injury is always iffy, Diggs is clearly at or near 100 percent fitness. Expect his great play to continue as the team gets more experience playing together. Led by Drake Maye and Diggs, look for the Patriots to gain a playoff berth for the first time in four years.