Stefon Diggs, who was the Buffalo Bills’ top receiver during his four seasons with the team from 2020 to 2023, doesn’t like to make player comparisons, but after having played under a quarterback who is now regarded as one of the best in the league in Bills’ quarterback Josh Allen and now playing under who many regard as an up and coming star in 23-year-old Drake Maye, comparisons are inevitable.
“I was with young Josh,” Diggs told NBC reporters on Wednesday. “He wasn’t that young. And obviously I’m with a young Drake right now. I see the similarities. I try not to get into player comparisons at all. They’re two different young men, but I see why they say that. They play with that mindset, that dog mindset, and I see Drake coming along the same way.”
Through four games on the NFL season, Allen and Maye also have remarkably similar passing stats, with both QBs having thrown for 7 touchdowns and nearly 1000 passing yards — Allen with 964 yards and Maye slightly ahead at 988.
| Stat | Josh Allen | Drake Maye |
|---|---|---|
| Games | 4 | 4 |
| Completions / Attempts | 85 / 121 | 91 / 123 |
| Completion % | 70.2% | 74.0% |
| Passing Yards | 964 | 988 |
| Yards per Attempt | 8.0 | 8.0 |
| Passing Touchdowns | 7 | 7 |
| Interceptions | 1 | 2 |
| Passer Rating | 109.7 | 109.4 |
| ESPN QBR | 77.6 | 63.9 |
The comparisons will be inevitable when the 2–2 Patriots host the 4–0 Bills in a highly anticipated Week 5 matchup — the first time Stefon Diggs will face his former team since leaving Buffalo in 2023. Now catching passes from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, Diggs is enjoying a noticeable resurgence, flashing shades of his All-Pro form with 19 receptions for 213 yards through four games. He made a statement in last week’s dominant 42–13 win over the Panthers, hauling in 6 catches for 101 yards, including a 33-yard highlight.
Diggs acknowledged the emotional weight of returning to Orchard Park. “It’s going to be a little bit emotional,” he told WKBW reporters. “I try to keep the main thing the main thing, but it’s going to be my first time back there. It’s going to be a hell of an atmosphere. I was part of that for a long time. I’ve got a lot of love for that city.”
Diggs also praised the continuity of the Bills’ culture and success. “That team has been good year in and year out. It’s a great fanbase that has always played a key part. The coaching staff has always done a good job, and they’ve always had a sound defense and guys that make plays on offense. Things haven’t changed, especially since I have left.”
The respect is mutual. Josh Allen and the Bills’ coaching staff have expressed similar praise for Diggs, now thriving as one of the top options in New England’s maturing offense.
“You know, he’s obviously still a fantastic player and you’ve got to kind of know where he’s on the football field at all times,” Josh Allen said on Wednesday.
“Yeah, very impressed — but not surprised,” Bills head coach Sean McDermott said when asked about Diggs’ strong start in New England. “He looks great. Very few guys can come off an injury like that and look as sharp as he does, especially in that first year back. But I’m not surprised. He’s a heck of an athlete, and he works extremely hard.”
Diggs emphasized that the significance of Sunday’s game goes beyond his personal return to Buffalo — it’s also a key test for a Patriots team still working to rebuild its identity and move out from under the long shadow of the Brady-Belichick era.
“I know that team well,” Diggs said. “It’s going to be another test for us. Answering the bell is going to be key, but it’s also a measuring stick. It’s early for us, and it’s early for them. They’ve had some good games and are finishing strong, so it’s going to be big for us to be on our details.”
The Patriots will face the Bills in Buffalo this Sunday at 8:20 PM.
