New England Patriots
“That trust was built up probably when I was in middle school when he was playing in the league.”
Drake Maye’s rise to NFL stardom amid the Patriots’ thrilling eight-game winning streak has deservedly put the second-year quarterback in MVP conversations.
His success, albeit individually impressive through 11 games, has in part been made possible by his weapons on offense. New England’s veteran receivers, in particular, have played an integral role in Maye’s development, as well as achieving a league-best 9-2 record.
Wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins along with tight end Hunter Henry stepped up in the air in the Patriots’ Thursday night victory over the Jets. The trio were reliable down field all night on a short week as WR Kayshon Boutte (hamstring) missed a second-straight game and TE Austin Hooper (concussion) was similarly inactive.
Maye was asked about his trust in Diggs, an 11-year NFL veteran, and how long it took for them to develop a connection on the field, after the game.
“That trust was built up probably when I was in middle school when he was playing in the league. It was long ago,” Maye said of Diggs.
The 23-year-old signal-caller’s response may have made Diggs feel old, but it’s a testament to the soon-to-be 32-year-old’s track record as a playmaker since entering the league in 2015. It’s also a testament to New England’s front office for signing Diggs in March after whiffing on free-agent WRs like Chris Godwin and DK Metcalf.
Diggs’s performance Thursday was another reason to be happy about the fact that he’s in just the first year of his three-year, $69 million contract. He caught nine passes on 11 targets for 105 yards, his longest reception of the night being a 22-yard catch in the fourth quarter.
Diggs and Maye’s connection appears to be getting stronger every week, especially as Diggs recently passed the one-year mark since his ACL tear in October last year.
Maye also praised Henry, who was the Patriots’ lone active TE Thursday. Henry caught four passes for 45 yards, who came up with a 23-yard reception to begin an early second-quarter drive with the score knotted at seven points.
Henry, a 10-year NFL veteran who has spent half of his career in New England, had been limited to just one catch against the Buccaneers last week. The 30-year-old’s bounce-back night was much-needed given Hooper’s absence.
“Guys like him and Hunter [Henry] and Mack [Hollins], you trust those guys for what they’ve done in this league,” Maye said. “I just try to give them chances. … Those guys were great for us tonight.”
Hollins, a 30-year-old playing in his eighth healthy season, recorded four catches for 64 yards. His longest reception of the game was a 20-yarder to push the Patriots into the red zone in the second quarter. Rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson ran for his second touchdown of the night to give New England a 14-7 advantage the following play.
The Patriots, who stand atop the AFC East and the entire NFL, are in position to make the playoffs after winning only four games in each of their last two seasons. Drake Maye is clearly a major part of that, but the corps around him deserves plenty of credit, too.
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