Studs and duds from Patriots 23-20 upset victory over Bills in Week 5

Few thought it was possible, but the New England Patriots made believers out of many NFL fans in their Sunday Night Football upset victory over the Buffalo Bills.

The Patriots leaned on the strength of their defense to make mere mortals out of Bills quarterback Josh Allen and running back James Cook. Overall, the Patriots forced three turnovers against a Bills team that didn't turn the ball over much ahead of the game.

But the real talk of the game will be about quarterback Drake Maye's game-winning drive, Andres Borregales' clutch field goal kick and Stefon Diggs showing back up to Orchard Park and handing the Bills their first loss of the season.

Here are the studs and duds from the Week 5 matchup between the Patriots and Bills:

STUD: RB Rhamondre Stevenson

Running back Rhamondre Stevenson started off on the dud list after he fumbled the ball for a third time in five games. However, he made up for it in a big way by punching the ball into the end zone twice in the second half. The turnovers need to get cleaned up, especially if the Patriots are going to be without Antonio Gibson. When Stevenson takes care of the football, he has proven himself to be one of the better running backs in the NFL.

STUD: CB Marcus Jones

It's not every day that a defensive back gets an interception on Josh Allen. That's exactly what Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones did to kill a potential Bills touchdown drive. Jones made a diving interception in front of Bills wideout Khalil Shakir to snag Allen's intended pass for an interception. It marked the second straight week Jones has made a big play. He won AFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors last week for an 87-yard punt return for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers.

DUD: DT Cory Durden

Patriots defensive tackle Cory Durden got flagged on a crucial drive for a roughing the passer penalty in the fourth quarter. Durden could be seen pressuring Allen and hitting him in the helmet, drawing an immediate flag from the officials. The worst part about the penalty is the fact that the defense snuffed out the short pass to running back James Cook. So it really was an unnecessary mistake by Durden.

DUD: DT Joshua Farmer

What in the world was rookie defensive tackle Joshua Farmer thinking? That question had to be on the mind of every Patriots fan watching him pick up an unnecessary roughness penalty for a late hit on James Cook. Combine Durden's penalty with Farmer's and the Patriots gave up 30 yards in penalties on a drive that ended with a Bills touchdown late in the game.

STUD: CB Christian Gonzalez

Patriots All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez came away with a pair of key stops late in the game that helped kill a potential touchdown drive for the Bills. He defended against back-to-back passes and forced the Bills to settle for a field goal on their game-tying drive. Those stops were two of the biggest defensive plays in the game for New England.

STUD: LB Robert Spillane

Veteran linebacker Robert Spillane has stepped up his game in recent weeks. When the team needed a play to be made late in the first quarter, he forced a strip fumble on Bills wide receiver Keon Coleman that was ultimately recovered by safety Jaylinn Hawkins. Spillane has been a high-motor player for the Patriots who is usually always in the right place at the right time.

STUD: WR Stefon Diggs

Stefon Diggs was clearly eager to face his former team and help the Patriots pull off the upset in Buffalo. And that's exactly what he did on the night, hauling in 10 receptions for 142 yards. The growing chemistry between Diggs and second-year quarterback Drake Maye was evident from the start of the game. It was the second straight game that Diggs has posted more than 100 receiving yards in a game.

STUD: Defensive line

The entire defensive line deserves a lot of credit for stifling the Bills' run game throughout the night. Running back James Cook, who has been one of the hottest offensive playmakers so far this season, was held to only 49 rushing yards on 15 carries. Granted, the Patriots probably would have liked to have seen more quarterback pressure, but the unit held strong when it mattered the most.

STUD: QB Drake Maye

Drake Maye was not afraid of the moment. The second-year quarterback made big plays down the stretch to help secure the win for the Patriots. He engineered the first game-winning drive of his career and handed the Bills their first loss of the season. It was another all-around efficient effort for Maye, who finished the game going 22-of-30 passing for 273 yards. He also completed this ridiculous throw.

STUD: K Andres Borregales

Who else held their breath when rookie kicker Andres Borregales stepped up to make a game-winning 52-yard field goal for the Patriots. Like Stevenson, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel has also made an effort to stick by Borregales this season. The faith that Vrabel continues to show in Borregales and Stevenson has paid off in a major way for New England.

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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Studs and duds from Patriots 23-20 upset victory over Bills in Week 5