What a statement made by the Patriots in Western New York on Sunday Night Football!
I called their game with the Buffalo Bills a litmus test in my preview for this game. And boy, did they pass that test!
There is plenty to talk about, but this article will be dedicated to Drake Maye and his national emergence.
The Drake-down
I usually write one of these each week. That gives me a pretty good idea of how Drake Maye has performed week to week in his 17 career starts. This one, for me, was easily his best game with context considered.
Maye was near flawless against a poor Carolina team last week. But putting up the second half he did, on the road against a Super Bowl-calibre team in Prime Time, is mighty impressive!
He is far from a finished product. However, he is answering the questions people were asking about him coming into the season.
He was criticised for getting happy feet on occasion and fleeing the pocket unnecessarily. There were also questions about whether he had the mentality and command to lead his team on a game-winning drive.
This week’s evidence
His improvements to me were perfectly encapsulated by two of the plays he made on the game-winning drive in Week 5.
On the first play of the drive, Maye flees the pocket and is grabbed by the collar of his jersey by DaQuan Jones.
However, he somehow manages to find an absurd arm angle to flip a pass to Stefon Diggs – who was phenomenal! – while being manhandled by a 320lb defensive tackle.
It was the kind of out-of-structure, take-your-breath-away play that few quarterbacks have the athleticism and cojones to even attempt!
Two plays later, Maye stands in the pocket and, under pressure, stands tall to deliver an absolute dot to Kayshon Boutte. Drake was milliseconds away from taking a hit and dropped a perfect hole shot right between the cornerback and safety in cover two.
We know ‘Drake’ can make the athletic plays, like the one to Diggs. But his is the type of in-structure play that, if he can consistently string together, will fuel talk about a future MVP candidate.
The big question
Christian Gonzalez was fantastic in this game. Andy Borregales made a 52-yarder game-winner look like a chip shot. And Stefon Diggs demonstrated that hate really is the ultimate motivator.
However, the biggest question looming over the Pats this year is: “Is Drake Maye the franchise quarterback of the future?”
After tonight, the answer looks to be an affirmative!
