Patriots focused on upsetting Bills, not on top overall draft pick

Losing on purpose isn't the plan for the New England Patriots as they prepare to face the Buffalo Bills on Sunday afternoon in Foxborough.

While New England (3-13) officially would secure the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft if they fall to Buffalo in the regular-season finale, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said he wants his team to end the campaign on a high note.

"My message to the guys was we want to finish off the season strong and try to build some momentum going into the off season," Mayo said.

"I would say the guys are ready to go. ... I've never been a part of a team, as a player or as a coach, going into a game not wanting to win.

"It's not going to change today, so that's my message to the team."

Playing to win means the Patriots plan to stick with rookie Drake Maye. The third overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft is dealing with a right hand injury, with the possibility that fellow rookie Joe Milton III sees some playing time.

"If he's healthy and ready to go, as we go through this week of practice, then he'll play," Mayo said of Maye, who was a limited participant during practice on Wednesday and Thursday.

Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt reiterated on Thursday that Maye is looking good at practice and said "he's starting the game, for sure".

Van Pelt said the plan is for Maye to play the entire game, though Milton is seeing some first-team reps this week.

The Bills (13-3) helped push New England toward the top pick by recording a 24-21 win over the Patriots in Week 16. The situation got worse for New England in a 40-7 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers last Saturday, the Patriots' sixth straight defeat.

Maye finished with only 117 yards and one touchdown on 12-of-22 passing against Los Angeles, which held New