New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has produced an MVP-caliber season in just his second year in the NFL and his first with a new head coach and offensive coordinator. Maye added to his MVP campaign on Sunday with a historic two-and-a-half quarters of action in Week 17 against the New York Jets.
The blossoming signal-caller entered this week as the NFL’s leader in completion percentage and ranks second in passing yards per attempt, third in passer rating, fourth in passing yards, and fifth in passing touchdowns.
Maye finished midway through the third quarter, going 19-of-21 for 256 passing yards to go with five touchdown passes. He also added 22 yards on the ground, totaling 278 total yards with a near-perfect 157.0 quarterback rating. He finished with a 90.5% completion rate, becoming the first player in NFL history to finish a game with these statistics.
Maye threw five touchdown passes to five different receivers, four of which were in the first half. It was the first time since 2014 that a Patriots quarterback threw four touchdowns in the first half, when it was Tom Brady under center for New England. It is also the first time since 2017 that the Patriots have had a five-TD passing game.
As of Monday morning, Maye’s NFL MVP odds sit at +200 on FanDuel Sportsbook, trailing only Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford at -250. Time will tell if the Patriots’ gunslinger can do anything to take the lead in the regular season’s finale week.
Patriots QB Joins Elite Company In Franchise History
The second-year quarterback also reached some franchise records with his Week 17 performance. Maye hit 4,000 passing yards, becoming only the third quarterback in franchise history to reach that feat (Tom Brady, Drew Bledsoe). Maye also set a franchise record by throwing five touchdowns to as many different receivers in a game.
Furthermore, Maye became the first player in NFL history to have multiple games in a season with at least 200 passing yards, two touchdowns, and at least a 90% completion rate.
What has been a pleasure to watch this season is the progression that Maye makes every week, and at times even in a game. He is calm and confident in leading the offense, understanding what needs to happen with each play.
This season, Maye has been coached to throw to the open receiver. It might not be his first read, but it’ll turn into the right play. The logic behind it is that by throwing to the first open receiver, it limits potential negative plays. This also contributes to why the Patriots have many different leading receivers throughout the season.
With Maye only being in his second year, the future is bright for New England after Brady walked away from the franchise five years ago. The Patriots won the AFC East for the first time since 2019, Brady’s final year with the franchise.
Although this is a team effort, the Patriots will go as far as Maye can take them, which has proven to be the top team in the NFL, a playoff-caliber team, and a Super Bowl contender.
