Once upon a time, not many people thought the New England Patriots would make it out of the first four games of the regular season with a .500 record. That was just five days ago.

In the first four weeks of the regular season, the Patriots played four teams that many thought would still be playing football in January. A heartbreaker in Seattle against the Seahawks in Week 1, a defensive victory at home against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and a disaster in Duval County, Florida, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

All week long, many wanted to compare Drake Maye to Mac Jones and wondered whether anyone could step up given this lengthy injury list. Well, the Patriots' depth proved itself on Sunday against a Super Bowl contender, and Drake Maye may have shaken off the cobwebs a bit.

Sunday's victory over the Buffalo Bills creates plenty of Monday morning storylines as we look ahead to where this Patriots team can go from here.

As a professional athlete, it's important not to spend too much time on social media or watch all the memes poking fun at you or the banter on television about you. Still, you almost wonder if Drake Maye heard all the criticism and used it to get his swagger back a bit.

Maye wasn't perfect, but he seemed to return to form. The third-year QB threw for 269 yards, going 22 of 37 with three touchdowns and one interception. He accounted for three fumbles (lost 1 and regained 2). It was chaotic for him; you could tell that.

You could also tell that Maye "willed this team to a win," as Ted Johnson said on NBC Sports Boston's post-game show. The Patriots haven't scored more than twenty points in a game in the past three weeks. This afternoon, they nearly saw thirty. Maye looked like a captain out there again. Let's hope he's found his confidence and his stride again.

The obvious point here is that Efton Chism III made a Catch of the Year-worthy play late in the fourth quarter. Chism took his most reps of the season on Sunday. He saw an uptick in reps after Mack Hollins left the game in the third quarter, which led to a play that helped secure a tough road win.

Rotational edge rusher Elijah Ponder kept his hot streak going. Ponder's impact included three tackles, two quarterback hits, and one sack on Bills QB Josh Allen.

Rookie Caleb Lomu also made his first career start as a tackle-eligible sixth offensive lineman in a 12-personnel package. His addition to the field helped pave the way for a successful run game, which helped running back Rhamondre Stevenson reach fourth all-time in rushing for the Patriots (beating Curtis Martin). Lomu also allowed only one pressure on the day.

The Patriots' second-round draft pick out of Illinois made a statement in Week 2 when he intercepted Aaron Rodgers to seal the team's first win of the season. Like most key players last week, Gabe Jacas was largely invisible on the field.

Jacas returned to form with some standout moments in Sunday's matchup. He had three quarterback pressures on Josh Allen. One in particular was when he knocked over Pro Bowl left tackle Dion Dawkins and forced Josh Allen to throw the ball away. Jacas was also key on some run-stiff plays that slowed the Bills' run game, which was a key point of victory this week.

A performance like this solidifies that Jacas, despite some offseason hiccups, was worth the second-round pick.

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