Local News
“He’s been everything that we’ve asked and he continues to get better. He’s not satisfied.”
FOXBOROUGH — The Patriots have undergone one of the biggest turnarounds in NFL history. At 14-3, they’ve won 10 more games than last season. Only the 1999 Colts and 2008 Dolphins made turnarounds that big from one season to the next.
Second-year quarterback Drake Maye has been one of the driving forces of that success. With the regular season wrapped up, he finds himself on a short list of contenders for the NFL MVP award.
On Monday afternoon, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel explained why he believes Maye is deserving of the honor. Maye led the league in completion percentage (72), QBR (77.2), and expected points added (113.2) during the regular season. His combination of accuracy, athleticism, and arm strength has led to numerous explosive plays and overall efficient performance.
“He’s extremely accurate. He’s made the most of every passing opportunity,” Vrabel said. “We’ve created a lot of X plays, and to create X plays it’s about 30 percent scheme, it’s about 70 percent of the players making a play, and part of that is the quarterback putting it in a great location for run after catch. I think you continue to see that.”
The Rams’ Matthew Stafford, also in the running for MVP, led the league in 20-plus-yard completions (72). Maye was second (67).
Stafford also led the league in passing yards (4,707) and touchdown passing (46). Maye had 4,394 passing yards and 31 touchdowns. Both had eight interceptions. Stafford (597) had 105 more passing attempts than Maye this season.
The Patriots (14-3) are the No. 2 seed in the AFC. The Rams (12-5) are the No. 5 seed in the NFC.
The Patriots finished third to last (17 points per game) in scoring last season. Their 28.8 points per game this season are second-best in the league.
As the Patriots prepare to host a playoff game for the first time since 2019, there is no question that Maye has played a significant role in the shift in New England’s fortunes.
“His ability to extend, use his legs to gain first downs, critical first downs,” Vrabel said. “His ability to score when we’ve asked him to score and run it in. He’s been everything that we’ve asked and he continues to get better. He’s not satisfied. So, I know that our success of where we are right now, today, has a lot to do with Drake Maye.”
Pressure situation
With the Chargers coming to town on Sunday, the Patriots will have to plan for a mobile quarterback in Justin Herbert.
Defensive tackle Milton Williams listed a few similarities between Maye and Herbert, noting their size, arm strength, and speed.
“He’s one of those guys where you list everything that you want in a quarterback and he’s got it, and running and speed is just one of them,” Williams said. “We’ve definitely got to be all on the same page in terms of running games, keeping him in the pocket, and trying to get pressure on him.
“No quarterback likes pressure on him. Try to make him force a read or miss a read or something, and give our guys on the back end a chance to make a play.”
Vrabel mentioned the Chargers’ physical style as one of several reasons why he considers them built for the postseason.
“I will just tell you that they play great defense,” Vrabel said. “They’re very sound. They’re good tacklers. They’re physical. They get off the field on third down. They’re good in the red zone. They run the football. It’s a physical football team. They possess the football. They lead the NFL in time of possession.”
Vrabel also mentioned the Chargers’ ability to wear down opponents.
“They have very good quarterback play. They’re well-coached. They play with technique and fundamentals,” Vrabel said. “The game, it doesn’t — they don’t panic one way or the other. They kind of stick to their game plan, wear you down, and execute in critical situations. So, a lot of respect for them, and certainly what they’ve done in a short amount of time.”
