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After statement win in Buffalo, Patriots might finally have their franchise QB in Drake Maye
"I see a young quarterback taking a step in the right direction."
COMMENTARY
If there was any weight placed upon Drake Maye’s shoulders on Sunday night, the Patriots’ young quarterback wasn’t showing it while fielding questions from Highmark Stadium.
Yes, Sunday marked the most consequential game of the 23-year-old QB’s career.
A primetime matchup. On the road. Against the reigning NFL MVP and the lone undefeated team left in the league.
For some, those circumstances would represent the sizable hurdle amid a promising — albeit uneven — 2025 season.
But for Maye, it represented opportunity.
“Take the next step,” Maye said of his approach entering Sunday’s game. “This is a division game. It’s 8:20 in Orchard Park and a great environment, playing the Buffalo Bills. Where else would you rather be?”
On Sunday, Maye seized said opportunity.
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The result? A 23-20 upset win for the Patriots in Buffalo.
And a sigh of relief for a Patriots franchise that — at long last – has found their next star at the quarterback position.
“That was fun. That’s a tough one,” Maye said of New England’s victory. “It took everybody in that locker room, and the guys came out and we battled. Didn’t play the best in the first half. The defense helped us out, and we came back offensively and got some things going — two-minute drive at the end, just go down and win it. That’s what you want.”
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On a night where Mike Vrabel’s efforts toward rebuilding New England’s program were validated — and talk of a successful rebuild were seemingly accelerated — it should come as little surprise that Maye spearheaded his team’s breakthrough performance.
Even though Maye didn’t record a touchdown on the night, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft married his evident physical talents and arm strength with the poise and decision-making that only comes with regular reps at football’s highest level.
Maye completed 22 of his 30 pass attempts for 273 yards, while also gaining 12 yards on the ground.
But beyond the production put forth on Sunday, it was the timing of Maye’s heroics — with the promising QB out-dueling Josh Allen by conducting several second-half drives that twisted the knife for over 70,000 Bills fans.
In the second half, Maye completed 13 of his 14 throws for 184 yards and a 118.8 passer rating.
En route to his first career game-winning drive, Maye went 6-for-6 in the fourth quarter — orchestrating a seven-play, 37-yard sequence with just over two minutes to go to set the stage for Andy Borregales’ game-winning, 52-yard field goal.
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“A really gutty performance from Drake,” Mike Vrabel said. “Really just continue to enjoy watching him grow and lead this football team. … Again, I would love to win by two scores, but [good to] be able to come back and execute in a critical situation and take the clock down and win it on our terms.”
Maye has shown spurts of his potential throughout his tenure in Foxborough, with those positives becoming more of a regular occurrence so far this season as he’s cut down on the mistakes and helped spur what was once a listless offensive unit.
But Sunday marked a major step forward — given both the quality of the opponent and the stakes involved during crunch time.
At 23 years and 36 days old, Maye became the second youngest starting quarterback in NFL history to win on the road against an opposing starting QB who was the reigning MVP.
Maye didn’t look his age throughout the second half — routinely gaining chunk yardage through the air off deep throws down the field to Stefon Diggs, Hunter Henry, and Kayshon Boutte.
Those heaves down the gridiron will draw plenty of eyes, especially with some of those balls that he uncorked to Diggs over crucial third-down situations.
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But Maye also prevented New England’s offense from stalling out on several occasions — making smart calls on the run, throwing balls away instead of forcing the issue, and keeping the ball out of Allen’s hands.
After a sluggish first half, Maye ratched up his play once the Bills’ offense started to find some cohesion.
Once Allen capped off a 10-play, 66-yard drive with a touchdown coming out of halftime, Maye and the Patriots countered with a five-play, 69-yard touchdown drive of their own — headlined by a 32-yard pickup by Diggs.
Maye’s upside as an NFLer might have been exemplified by his first play in what was New England’s final drive of the night.
With the score knotted up at 20-20 with a little over two minutes to go, Maye found himself under duress right as the ball was snapped — with Bills defensive lineman DaQuan Jones poised to take the QB down for a momentum-sapping sack.
But rather than hit the turf and push New England further into their own territory, Maye stiff-armed Jones — holding him back while rolling to his right before managing to get a throw off toward Diggs.
The veteran wideout — who closed out the game with 10 catches for 146 yards — gained a first down with a 12-yard pickup right at the two-minute warning.
Just six plays later, Borregales’ kick from 52 yards out sailed through the uprights to seal New England’s upset victory.
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“I see a young quarterback taking a step in the right direction,” Diggs said of Maye. “They did a lot of comparisons during the week, and I feel like it was a hell of a comparison to be compared to Josh Allen.
“But as you come into your own, Drake Maye has to be Drake Maye. I was just so proud of him coming in here and leading the team.”
A Week 5 victory – regardless of the opponent — won’t guarantee that Maye and the Patriots will be playing well into January.
And Patriots fans desperate for good tidings in the post-Brady era are no stranger to clinging to hope — as fruitless as it might be at times.
But things feel different this fall — with that optimism rooted in this fanbase now met with the tangible play we’ve seen out on the field with No. 10 under center.
And so far, what’s not to like?
“Made some plays, protected the football and gave us a chance to win,” Maye said of what he accomplished on Sunday. “And using my teammates around me, that’s the biggest thing. So we’ve got a lot of left. We’ve got to keep going.”
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