A casual fan's guide to Drake Maye-nia
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Drake Maye's GAME against the Tennessee Titans was widely seen as a breakout performance. Photo: Andy Lyons/Getty Images
A strange phenomenon is sweeping New England, causing elevated heart rates, muscle spasms and uncontrollable outbursts. And nobody's looking for a cure.
- It's Drake Maye fever.
Why it matters: Maye, the Patriots' second-year quarterback, is having a stellar sophomore season, each week adding to the case that he's already among the NFL's best.
If you're a Pats fan, you already know that. (And, congrats!)
- This is a guide for everyone else — to make it easier to coexist with the growing horde of Drake Maye-niacs. And maybe, to catch the fever yourself.
State of play: The Pats stand at 5-2, alone atop their division. The reasons begin with big-armed, fleet-footed Maye, whose impressive season hit new heights last weekend.
- In a blowout win over the Tennessee Titans, Maye hit on 21 of his 23 passes and scored three touchdowns.
Context: Completing 91.3% of his passes gave Maye the highest single-game mark in Patriots history. TLDR, that's better than any game Touchdown Tom ever played for New England.
The big picture: Maye ranks in the top five in a bunch of the nerdiest football stats — but don't feel the need to click those links.
- The point is, in most ways that people measure if a quarterback is accurate, moving the ball well and getting the most out of the situations he's faced, he's at or near the top.
What they're saying: The Titans game sent praise for Maye's season into overdrive, with some proclaiming him among the sport's elite — if not quite the likes of Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen and Lamar Jackson.
- "The Patriots' suave second-year starter is elevating his comrades every single week," wrote CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin, ranking Maye the league's 9th-best QB.
- "He's operating at an MVP level," writes Fox Sports' Ben Arthur.
- "He's not a top-five quarterback," said NBC Sports Boston's Tom E. Curran. "He's a top-10 passer, though, already."
Yes, but: This weekend, Maye faces what the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan dubbed the "toughest test" of his young career, the Cleveland Browns' fearsome pass-rusher, Myles Garrett.
- The Browns visit Gillette Stadium, 1pm Sunday on FOX.