Patriots Jump Multiple Spots in NFL Power Rankings After Week 4 Win

Just when the New England Patriots looked like their 2026 season was about to spiral out of control, the team was able to generate a big win.

New England was able to go into Buffalo to get a win over the rival Bills, proving that they could turn the year around. After looking dead in the water against the Jacksonville Jaguars last week, the Patriots regrouped to take down the Bills.

This was the second straight season that New England has gone to Buffalo to get a win, showing a certain mental toughness. But the big storyline in the win was the play from quarterback Drake Maye, who bounced back from his rough start to the year.

Maye finished the game throwing for 269 yards with three touchdowns and one interception. The young signal-caller was able to outduel Josh Allen, helping lead New England to the potentially season-saving win.

Entering the game, there were real questions around Maye as a player, with many people wondering if he had reached his ceiling in the NFL. But Maye was able to silence any doubters, at least for the time being.

NFL analyst Gary Davenport of Bleacher Report put together a power rankings following the results from Week 4 of the season, and the Patriots moved up multiple spots within it. New England moved up from No. 18 to No. 14 following the upset win over the Bills

If the Patriots can build off this win, it could help set them up well for the rest of the season. New England had been trying to figure out its offensive problem, but against the Bills, the team found something that clicked.

Having Maye not turn the ball over consistently helped, and the Patriots were able to grind out the win. This performance resembled how New England looked a year ago when they reached the Super Bowl.

But the Patriots understand that it was just one win, and that if this group wants to reach its lofty goals, consistency will be crucial. New England can take a lot of lessons from this win and put them into practice to get back to being contenders.

Next up for New England will be a matchup against the upstart Las Vegas Raiders at home, offering them a chance to take down a top team again. Las Vegas will enter the game with a record of 3-1, while the Patriots come in at 2-2 after beating Buffalo.