Week 5 was a good one for statement wins, but none was bigger or louder than the New England Patriots’ gutsy 23-20 effort over the Buffalo Bills.

Shout it from the Sunday Night Football stage: The Patriots are back — back in prime time, back in the win column against a familiar foe, and back to relevance. It wasn’t just that they took down the Bills in Buffalo to deliver the league’s last undefeated team its first loss of the season. It’s how they did it — with a clutch defensive performance that won the turnover battle against Josh Allen & Co. 3-1, a complete game from quarterback Drake Maye to put the Patriots in position to win, an elite showing by ex-Bill Stefon Diggs, and one perfectly placed kick right down the middle to take the lead with 15 seconds to go.

Along the way, we learne

See Full Page