NFLSep 30
Patriots face mounting questions after Maye's costly mistakes in Jacksonville
New England's offense is struggling to recapture its AFC championship form, while the Chargers squandered a turnover-heavy opportunity in Buffalo.
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Maye's decisions put Patriots under pressure
The Patriots' defeat in Jacksonville exposed problems that extend beyond a difficult early schedule. After reaching the Super Bowl last season, New England is struggling to protect the football and overcome mistakes around quarterback Drake Maye. Maye has six interceptions through three games. Against the Jaguars, he forced a pass across his body toward Hunter Henry after Rhamondre Stevenson was covered, allowing Travis Hunter to intercept it. Throwing the ball away would have preserved a scoring opportunity. Ball security also hurt New England. Maye lost possession during a dropback and again at the end of a scramble, with the latter ending another possession inside the 5-yard line. His ability to escape pressure and create plays remains evident, but those flashes have not offset the costly decisions.
Injuries complicate the offensive reset
The supporting cast has changed substantially. A.J. Brown is sidelined by a high-ankle sprain, while right guard Mike Onwenu has a fractured ankle. Stefon Diggs' absence from last season's receiving group and inconsistent production from Romeo Doubs have added to the challenge. Maye's success on difficult throws has also fallen sharply. He completed 47.7% of tight-window attempts in 2025; this season, he is 2-of-9 with three interceptions on those passes. More rushing attempts or greater use of play-action could help simplify his workload. With the Bills and Raiders ahead, New England has little room to let its offensive problems linger.
Chargers miss an opening
Los Angeles also left Week 3 with urgent concerns, falling to 0-3 despite a defensive resurgence in Buffalo. The Chargers forced five turnovers and began three possessions in Bills territory. Ladd McConkey returned to a full workload, and Buffalo lost cornerback Christian Benford to a toe injury during the game. Even with those advantages, Los Angeles could not protect its fourth-quarter lead. For an offense already struggling to sustain drives, failing to capitalize made the defeat particularly damaging.
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