The Buffalo Bills hosted the New England Patriots on Sunday, October 4, 2026, in a Week 4 AFC East showdown at the brand-new Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York. The Patriots travel to Buffalo to face the 3-0 Bills in brand-new Highmark Stadium. The afternoon turned into a back-and-forth battle, and it also delivered a franchise milestone for Buffalo's star quarterback.
Josh Allen Rewrites the Bills' Record Book
With just over a minute left in the first half, Josh Allen punched in a short touchdown that did more than tie the score. Allen moved past Hall of Famers Andre Reed and Thurman Thomas with the 88th touchdown of his career. The score, which came on a one-yard run, made Allen the Bills' all-time leader in touchdowns from scrimmage.
Allen entered Sunday tied with Reed and Thomas at 87, a mark he reached just the week before against the Los Angeles Chargers. Reed and Thomas had shared the franchise record for roughly a quarter-century, and Allen reached the mark in a fraction of the time it took either Bills legend to get there.
A Back-and-Forth Afternoon at Highmark Stadium
New England struck first. On the opening possession, the Patriots marched the length of the field and Drake Maye found Romeo Doubs on fourth down for Doubs' first touchdown of the season, a drive that covered 97 yards. Buffalo answered when the Bills found the end zone on an eight-yard James Cook run to even the score at 7-7.
Turnovers and Momentum Swings
The game swung repeatedly from there. A Drake Maye strip-sack was recovered by the Bills, but Buffalo could not capitalize and went three-and-out. New England's offense then put together another scoring drive, with Maye scrambling 26 yards to set up a short touchdown that put the Patriots in front, 14-7. Buffalo answered again before halftime, with Khalil Shakir breaking off a long gain to set up Allen's record-breaking score that tied it at 14. Buffalo added a late field goal, and a field goal at the end of the first half gave the Bills a 17-14 lead at the break.
Halftime Snapshot
At the half, Drake Maye had completed 8 of 15 passes for 111 yards with one touchdown, one interception and a lost fumble, while Josh Allen had gone 14 of 18 for 153 yards. New England did not fold after the break. The Patriots marched 73 yards on 14 plays to retake the lead on a touchdown catch from Romeo Doubs, his second score of the day, putting New England ahead 21-17 early in the third quarter. By late in the third, the Patriots still led, 21-17, in a game that remained very much in doubt as the fourth quarter approached.
Drake Maye Tries to Turn the Page
The performance mattered beyond the scoreboard for New England's young quarterback. Maye came into Week 4 having struggled badly, with six interceptions in three games and a passing line that included 585 yards and nine sacks through the first three weeks. The Patriots carried the lowest scoring average in the NFL and a minus-five turnover differential entering the day, numbers that had fueled plenty of concern in New England after last year's surprising division title. Sunday's two touchdown throws to Doubs and his scrambling plays were an early sign of the kind of response the Patriots needed from their quarterback, even if the turnover bug briefly resurfaced on the lost fumble.
What's at Stake in the AFC East
Buffalo came into the weekend off to a perfect 3-0 start under first-year head coach Joe Brady, with Allen on an MVP trajectory and owning the most total touchdowns in the NFL this season. New England, by contrast, opened the year 1-2 and was looking to avoid falling further behind in the division. The two sides had plenty of recent history to draw on, including a split season series a year ago in which New England ultimately captured the division title despite Buffalo winning the finale.
Looking Ahead
Whatever the final result, Sunday's game added another chapter to one of the NFL's most heated rivalries and offered fresh evidence that Allen remains one of the league's most dangerous dual-threat quarterbacks. For the Patriots, a strong response from Maye against the division's top team would be an encouraging sign as the season moves into October, alongside other notable results from around the league in Week 4. The broadcast aired nationally, with coverage available through CBS and streaming options for fans who could not tune in live.