Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Patriots beat Bills 29–26 on Chism’s late touchdown
New England erased a five-point fourth-quarter deficit, then intercepted Josh Allen to end Buffalo’s unbeaten start.
Efton Chism III caught Drake Maye’s late touchdown pass and New England added a two-point conversion to beat Buffalo 29–26 on Sunday, October 4. The Patriots then intercepted Josh Allen on the ensuing possession, securing a road win that moved them to 2–2 and handed the Bills their first defeat.
Two late touchdowns change the lead
New England entered the fourth quarter ahead 21–17. Tyler Bass cut that advantage to one point with a field goal, before Allen connected with Keon Coleman for a touchdown. Buffalo’s two-point attempt failed, leaving the Bills in front 26–21 and giving the Patriots a five-point deficit to overcome.
Maye answered with the touchdown pass to Chism. Patriots On SI described the catch as one-handed. The successful conversion put New England ahead 29–26, but Buffalo still had another possession. The interception that followed prevented an answering score, making the defensive stop a separate, essential part of the finish.
The conversion attempts explain the final margin
Buffalo’s last touchdown added six points to its 20-point total. With no points from the conversion attempt, the Bills stayed at 26. New England’s response produced eight points: six for Chism’s touchdown and two for the successful conversion. That took the Patriots from 21 to 29.
The distinction matters when following the late score changes. Each team scored a touchdown during that exchange, but the possessions produced different totals. New England both erased the five-point gap and established the three-point margin that remained at the final whistle. The conversion was part of the winning touchdown possession, not a separate scoring drive.
Doubs scores twice before Chism’s finish
The Patriots’ offense had already supplied three touchdowns before the late response. Doubs caught Maye’s opening touchdown pass, Stevenson added a one-yard rushing score in the second quarter, and Doubs caught another touchdown after halftime. Chism’s reception became New England’s fourth touchdown of the afternoon.
Buffalo answered the first two Patriots scores with rushing touchdowns by James Cook and Allen. Bass then supplied the field goal that made it 17–14 at halftime. Doubs’ second score reversed that lead in the third quarter, setting up the fourth-quarter sequence in which both offenses briefly took control.
A different outcome from the previous week
The Patriots reached 2–2 after entering the game with one win and two losses. Buffalo fell to 3–1 after winning its first three games. Those records describe the positions after this matchup: New England recovered from a losing record, and Buffalo’s undefeated opening run ended. The final score was narrow even though the lead changed more than once after halftime.
The previous week provides a useful comparison. Buffalo had beaten the Chargers 24–16 despite five turnovers, while New England lost 35–6 at Jacksonville without scoring a touchdown. This time, the Patriots produced four touchdowns and finished with a defensive takeaway. The related reports below cover those separate September 27 games.
