The New England Patriots have been the surprise of the NFL season so far and it is mainly because of who they have under center. Drake Maye, a second-year quarterback from North Carolina, has been nothing short of exceptional for the Patriots this season, as he is an MVP candidate and makes all of his teammates around him better.
The quarterback has propelled the Patriots to a 7-2 record this season. His statistics will not jump out of the box upon first glance, although the more in-depth you go, the more impressive they look. Maye has a 116.9 quarterback rating so far this year, and he has thrown for 2,285 yards with 17 touchdowns through the air and just four interceptions. That is not the most impressive part of his stat line as his completion percentage is one of the best in the league at 74.9 percent.
Maye does what you want your quarterback to do, to make the right decisions and test the defense at just the right time. He has also helped his receivers, as he has taken what is in the eyes of many, a band of misfits and turned them into legit weapons for his disposal. Kayshon Boutte, Stefon Diggs and Pop Douglas are his key three targets, along with tight end Hunter Henry, and they all can contribute their early success to Maye and his ability to place the ball in the right spot. The legs have also been on display for Maye, as his underrated ability to run has been on full display as he amassed 200 yards on the ground so far with the longest length being 2 yards versus Cleveland.
There is so much buzz around the Patriots this year because of what Maye has been able to accomplish, but the job is not done. The Patriots are halfway through their season with some tough matchups coming up, including a rematch with division rival Buffalo, who they beat earlier in the year. They will also have to travel to Tampa Bay to play the Buccaneers and to Cincinnati to face the Bengals, which should both be two tough tests on the road. However, even if the Patriots lose, this could be a great warmup test for playoff-like atmospheres as at least the Tampa Bay game should be in primetime along with Buffalo.
This Patriots team is destined for greatness, and they will look to add even more firepower at the deadline as rumors have circulated about looking for another wide receiver and some more help on the defensive end. The defense has been top tier so far and they have the chance to be the best with potentially a minor addition or two.
Regardless of their moves at the deadline, New England remains one of the league’s most intriguing teams. With the second-year signal caller in Maye emerging as a true franchise cornerstone, the Patriots’ success will depend on how far he can take them. If Maye continues his breakout rise, the Patriots could quickly return to relevance in the AFC and potentially back to the Super Bowl.