Two standout performers are carrying the Patriots into the future.

When you work in sports blogging, you inevitably have to spend a serious amount of time on the internet. While a significant portion of that is dedicated to activities such as research, there also is scrolling through social media in hopes of finding inspiration or interesting stories to tell.

This, in turn, also exposes you to the more humorous side of the world wide web. Where there are sports to be played, there are memes to be posted.

One of the best examples of that came in May 2021, when then-Twitter user @matttomic published the following post to sum up the state of the MLB’s Los Angeles Angels at the time:

every time I see an Angels highlight it’s like “Mike Trout hit three homes runs and raised his average to .528 while Shohei Ohtani did something that hasn’t been done since ‘Tungsten Arm’ O’Doyle of the 1921 Akron Groomsmen, as the Tigers defeated the Angels 8-3”

— ℳatt (@matttomic) May 18, 2021

The 2024 New England Patriots have their own versions of the Angels’ Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. While they lack the same All-Star résumé, quarterback Drake Maye and cornerback Christian Gonzalez have proven themselves more capable than their team’s 3-11 overall record so far would suggest.

On the one hand, Maye, the rookie phenom. Even though he is working through his fair share of learning experiences and growing pains, the third overall selection in this year’s draft has shown that he is worthy of the “franchise quarterback” title.

A big part of that is his rare and versatile athletic traits. Offering ideal build at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds, he has been one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL to make something out of nothing; his out-of-structure and scrambling abilities have shown up time and again and allowed the Patriots’ otherwise lackluster offense to at least function at a rudimentary level from time to time.

Two particular plays from Sunday’s loss to the Arizona Cardinals illustrate that. The first was Maye’s touchdown pass to DeMario Douglas, the second his own 5-yard rushing score:

Might’ve come in garbage time, but Drake Maye’s legs carried the #Patriots offense to its best Red Zone performance (2-3) since Week 9 (2-2)

1. Puts Pop Douglas’ defender in a no-win situation after breaking the pocket

2. Exploits a soft edge when the OLB peels with Hasty pic.twitter.com/C0kSJe1z3j

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) December 16, 2024

Maye’s ability to make or set up plays with his legs has been crucial since taking over as starting quarterback in Week 6. Considering the state of New England’s offensive line and up-and-down play from the wide receiver position in particular, his dual-threat skills have saved his and his team’s buttocks on multiple occasions.

As a consequence, Maye has become the most efficient running quarterback — rookie or not — in the league.

Among QBs averaging at least two charted runs per game, he is ranked first in both expected points added (0.62) and yards per carry (8.55). If he manages to hold that second number over the final three weeks of the season, he would end his rookie year ranked second all-time among first-year QBs in NFL history, trailing only Michael Vick’s 9.1 in 2001.

Vick is not quite the “Tungsten Arm” O’Doyle mentioned in the post above, but he is some elite company for Maye to be in. The former Atlanta Falcons QB was the epitome of the dual-threat quarterback during his time, and an electric player in the early 2000s.

While the two are different player types, the Patriots have to feel encouraged by what Maye has shown through his first nine career starts. Despite the offense around him in a sub-par state, he is delivering promising and inspiring performances on a weekly basis.

“We all want to do better and play better for him, whether it’s in practice or the game,” guard Michael Onwenu said about Maye last month.

The Patriots’ best overall player this season, Christian Gonzalez, is in a similar category. While further along in his development compared to the rookie Maye, he has shown elite ability at his position.

Look no further than Sunday, when he matched up against ultra-talented Cardinals wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. and effectively erased him from the game. Outside of one 23-yard catch-and-run on a rub route, the sophomore defender played a perfect game versus arguably the best receiver prospect of the last decade.

Christian Gonzalez 1v1 against Marvin Harrison Jr., who he shadowed throughout yesterday’s game

Outside of some schemed separation and one well-run seam route, Gonzo locked down Harrison Jr. and was right on the WR’s hip the third time Arizona tried picking him on mesh pic.twitter.com/Ix3LIZOIql

— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) December 16, 2024

“He’s a great receiver. That’s their guy, so they’re going to go to him,” Gonzalez said after the Patriots’ 30-17 loss in Arizona. “I told him after the game, he’s the truth. He has all the tools to be real good. It was a fun matchup. I had fun, and maybe we’ll see each other again.”

For Gonzalez, matching up against an opponent’s No. 1 wideout is nothing new. Whether it be Ja’Marr Chase, DK Metcalf, Garrett Wilson, Tyreek Hill, Brandon Aiyuk, Davante Adams, D.J. Moore, whoever, the Patriots’ 2023 first-round draft pick has been in lockdown mode all year.

In total, Pro Football Focus has him with 43 catches given up on 78 targets (55.1%) for 458 yards with 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions each. What makes this production particularly impressive is the fact that he a) is shadowing the opponent’s top receiver on a week-to-week basis, and b) is doing so with little support from an at-times anemic pass rush.

“I invite it,” he said on Sunday. “That’s what it is as a corner. You want them to throw your way. You want to make plays for the team. When they throw it, try to make the plays that come your way.”

Unlike Maye, whose sample size and rookie learning curve are both working against him, Gonzalez is a realistic candidate for Pro Bowl and All-Pro consideration. He has been that good this season, and the defensive equivalent of the Patriots’ young quarterback.

Considering that they also are the youngest two players on the roster at 22 each, they are the foundational pieces for the Patriots moving forward.

At this stage in their overall organizational rebuild, meanwhile, they are a two-man show on the field. Drake Maye and Christian Gonzalez are playing the roles of — whoever you want to compare them — 2021 Shohei Ohtani and Mike Trout.

They truly are “Tungsten Arm” O’Doyle-ing their way through New England’s 2024 season.