Let’s debunk the narrative that Maye’s 2025 performance resulted from the Patriots playing a weak schedule.
It’s 3 PM, January 18, 2025, and the Patriots took the field at Gillette Stadium with much to prove. After their win against the L.A. Chargers a week earlier, the talk was whether the Patriots would’ve been as successful without a makeshift Chargers O-line and the big hits Justin Herbert took far behind the line of scrimmage.
Maye slays the Texans (photo courtesy of the LA Times)
Despite being the higher seed, playing at home, and enduring the familiar frigid, slushy, harsh environment, headlines and narratives seemed to paint the Texans as the likely victor in this cold January matchup.
The Texans’ defensive performance in the Wild Card Round supported that narrative, as they held the Steelers to just six points. Their regular-season statistics made them one of the most feared defenses, allowing no more than two passing touchdowns in any game and giving up the fewest yards per game.
If there was one thing known about this Texans team, it’s that the defense was a nearly impenetrable force. It would take a skilled quarterback to take them down, and if you asked most people outside of New England, they would tell you the same thing: “Drake Maye is not the guy.”
Multiple headlines followed, including about turnovers by both Stroud and Maye, the defensive plays that sealed the game for the Patriots, and the impact of the fresh snow on the passing game.
The fact that Drake Maye was the only quarterback to throw three passing touchdowns against the Texans all year seemed to interest no one, as did his passer rating of 100.6, well above the Texans’ average of 76.2. Even after facing one of the league’s best defenses and excelling in a tough environment, a shaky performance by C.J. Stroud meant Drake Maye couldn’t offset the “schedule” accusations that have dominated talk around this Patriots team since they began winning games.
To be fair, the Patriots played a week 2025 schedule. So, maybe all the naysayers had a point. Leading the league in completion percentage, yards per attempt, passer rating, and QBR could easily be a side effect of playing the teams they did. I mean, that’s why everyone picked the New England Patriots as Super Bowl contenders and Drake Maye as an MVP candidate, right? Perhaps.
Well, the most liberal estimates put the Patriots at 9 wins, with most analytics pointing to 8.5. MAYBE they could finish 10-7, sneak into a playoff spot, and lose in the first round. After the Patriots started 1-2, it seemed that they were destined to follow a similar path as last year. But then, they blew out the Panthers and then spoiled the Bills’ white-out game in Prime Time.
Those games were only the start of a 10-game win streak that surged New England into postseason play for the first time since 2019.
But then Drake Maye’s less-than-lackluster postseason performance invigorated detractors. He certainly wasn’t the MVP-caliber QB we saw earlier in the year. But his stats weren’t as the box scores suggest. In many aspects, he outperformed other QBs against those same teams, even in the playoffs.
Allen (R) and Maye (photo courtesy of ClutchPoints)
Sure, his numbers weren’t spectacular, but they didn’t reflect a QB whose talent diminished the moment he started playing “good teams.” Naysayers conveniently forgot that many of those “weak” teams were offensively challenged, but not defensively. Consider the Browns, who finished 5-12 but were also lauded for being a top-five defense, holding opposing QBs to 189.4 passing yards and a measly 6.6 yards per attempt. Josh Allen, one of the league’s best quarterbacks, threw for just 130 yards, 6.8 yards per attempt, and an 83.2 passer rating. Maye, by contrast, threw for 282 yards, 11.8 yards per attempt, and a 135.8 passer rating.
Part of me knows that the hate for Drake Maye is residue from the Brady era. Hatred for New England runs deep across the country, and any reminder of success is met with hostility.
So, for all the Patriots fans out there who know that Drake Maye is a talented quarterback, please send them this article. Head-nodding approval will certainly follow.
