He’s only four games into his first full season as a starter in the NFL, but Drake Maye already knows what type of quarterback he wants to be after a near-flawless performance for the New England Patriots against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4. A performance good enough to ensure the 22-year-old matched a record set by Buffalo Bills QB1 Josh Allen and Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson.
Maye threw for two touchdowns, to tight end Hunter Henry and wide receiver Mack Hollins, and ran for another to help the Pats win 42-13 at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, September 28.
In the process, Maye “joined QBs Lamar Jackson (2023-24) & Josh Allen (2024) as the only players in @NFL history to record a 135.0+ passer rating, 1 rushing TD & 1 passing TD (min. 10 pass att.) in multiple games in a season. His other game came at Miami (9/14/25),” per Patriots Communications.
More important than the numbers, was how Maye played the game, a different way to eliminate a worrying underlying flaw that was threatening to derail his development. He was a model of efficiency who missed on only three of his 17 pass attempts and made smarter decisions with the football.
When asked if this represents a style shift, Maye told reporters, including Chad Graff of The Athletic, “I sure hope so. If it leads to wins, that’s the quarterback I’m trying to become.”
Those words are proof of Maye’s maturation as a signal-caller at the pro level. He’s learning from his mistakes and getting increasingly comfortable in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels’s system, two things that have Maye matching the elite at his position from both the past and present.
Drake Maye’s Cleaning Up His Act for Patriots
Turnovers were the bane of Maye’s existence against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 3. When he lost a fumble and threw a critical interception at the goal-line.
Although Maye took some of the blame for the pick, head coach Mike Vrabel warned the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft about playing too much hero-ball. Vrabel is keen for Maye to take what a defense gives him, and the second-year pro responded the right way against the Panthers.
As The Guardian’s Ollie Connolly put it, “This was his most mature game against a lousy Panthers defense: took what was available in the structure, a couple of high-level throws down the field, and created when needed.”
When Maye was asked about taking what he was given, he revealed to the press, “I try to do it kind of just my whole career, kind of spread it around and give it to the guys that can make plays,” per Patriots.com.
Sticking to the script meant Maye didn’t continue a worrying trend for the Patriots. It also showed a welcome command of the McDaniels offense not seen too often since a franchise legend was throwing the passes.
Drake Maye Closing on a Tom Brady Mark
Maye needed a visit from the lowly Panthers to unlock his connection with All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs, but New England’s playmaker at football’s most important position also thrived thanks to changes made by McDaniels.
The latter has been reframing his playbook around Maye’s dual-threat talents. That much was obvious from “The motion at the snap+moving pockets by McDaniels today,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
McDaniels used to tailor his offenses in different ways for Tom Brady’s particular skill-set. Brady was a more traditional, pocket-based passer, but he was still efficient and productive when McDaniels called the plays.
Maye is also ticking those boxes now he’s “had a 75+ completion percentage and thrown 2+ TD passes in each of the last 3 games. Only Tom Brady (Weeks 1-4 in his first MVP season in 2007) has had a longer such streak within a single season in NFL history” per NFLPlus.
Maybe Maye equals Brady’s streak, maybe he doesn’t. What is clear is the Patriots finally have another quarterback with franchise-type skills.
Being disciplined enough to do what the game demands of him is how Maye refines those skills into a level to match NFL MVPs Allen and Jackson.
