Stefon Diggs receives significant honor after Patriots' upset win over Bills

New England Patriots HC Mike Vrabel celebrates Stefon Diggs

Vrabel gathered his team and addressed what the win meant. "We talked about taking the next step. And they were in the way. And we took the next step," he told his players. 

He then singled out Diggs for his performance against his former team, "Game ball, Digs, here you go."

The coach also gave a game ball to rookie kicker Andres Borregales, who nailed the game-winning 52-yard field goal with 15 seconds left. "We talked all week about if we were going to block one. I didn't know we were going to make one," Vrabel joked.

Why Stefon Diggs' performance matters

Diggs spent four seasons in Buffalo before the Bills traded him to Houston in April 2024, a split that came after he grew unhappy with his reduced role. 

His 146 yards marked his highest output since 2022, and doing it in the building where he once thrived as Josh Allen's top target made Sunday's performance more than just another big game.

The performance answered real questions about whether a 31-year-old receiver could return to form after tearing his ACL last October. Diggs admitted the injury left him "in a real, real dark space," and the Patriots held him out of preseason games entirely. 

Now, he's posted back-to-back 100-yard games, becoming the first Patriots receiver to do that since Julian Edelman in 2019.

His rapport with quarterback Drake Maye is developing faster than expected. On the game-winning drive, Diggs adjusted his route mid-play when he saw Maye scrambling, turning upfield for a 32-yard gain that set up the go-ahead score. That's veteran instinct you can't teach, and it's exactly what a second-year quarterback needs from his top target in critical moments.

New England's offense has lacked a true No. 1 receiver since Edelman's retirement, and the Patriots signed Diggs with projections of a 70-catch, 1,000-yard season. Through five games, he leads the team with 29 catches for 359 yards, though a lack of touchdowns stands out. 

The chemistry with Maye suggests the scoring will come, though, and Sunday's revenge game performance showed Diggs still has the ability to take over when it matters most.

The upset win improved New England to 3-2 under Vrabel while dropping Buffalo to 4-1.