FOXBOROUGH - While Drake Maye has dazzled with his recent performances, picking apart opposing defenses, there are some who still aren’t completely sold on the Patriots quarterback, or the offense.
Depending on what happens Sunday, the list of doubters could shrink.
The Cleveland Browns, who are next up, offer something none of the prior opposing defenses supplied for the second-year quarterback - a legitimate challenge.
The Browns might have one of the league’s worst scoring offenses (16.1 ppg), but their defense - the top-ranked unit in the NFL - is scary.
Whether it’s run or pass defense, the Browns excel, ranking in the top 5 in both categories.
If Maye and the Patriots offense can score on this defense, it’ll be tough for anyone to take away from the win streak, or doubt them as a playoff contender.
It’ll also serve as another measure of just how good the Patriots are, or can be, with Maye at the helm.
Should Maye and the Patriots falter, it might give more reason for pause and pump the brakes a bit.
To this point, defenses - particularly those faced the last five weeks - have been hard-pressed to stop Maye. No matter what looks they’ve thrown at him, it hasn’t prevented him from completing a high percentage of passes every week.
He’s defeated both man and zone coverages, two deep safeties, or whatever alignments have been tossed in front of him.
During the week, both Patriots coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said the Browns defense posed the biggest challenge for Maye and the offense to this point.
They’re stacked across three levels.
“They’re playing at a high level, they’re playing with a lot of confidence. It’s a lot of speed, a lot of disruption,” Vrabel said of the Browns defense. “They don’t give you a whole lot of time to make decisions. And then there’s enough change ups in there that you just have to be good. You have to be sound, can’t hold on to the ball. Coverage is sticky and the linebackers are fast.”
In short, how the Patriots fare against Jim Schwartz’ defense will validate just how good Maye is, or leave the jury out.
The Browns, at 2-5, might be considered another cream puff for the Patriots to kick to the curb, but their defense will test the second-year quarterback, and his revamped offensive line unlike no other team this season.
Defensive end Myles Garrett (5 sacks) is a game-wrecker. The defensive line as a whole, with Alex Wright, Maliek Collins, rookie Mason Graham, and Garrett, are among the best.
Their linebackers are fast. Carson Schwesinger is a tackling machine.
Meanwhile, their two cornerbacks - Denzel Ward and Tyson Campbell - excel at man coverage.
Maye has watched the film and knows what lies ahead Sunday.
“They’re really good. Shoot, they’ve got one of the best players in football,” Maye said, referring to Garrett. “They have some young guys that are really good. They play some man, they play tight coverage.
“They’re probably one of the best cornerback duos we’ll see,” he went on. “When they do mix up zone, they do a good job of getting their eyes on the quarterback and making plays on the football. You see that last week. So, we’ve got a tough challenge.”
Their pass rush, in particular, will make it tougher for Maye to make plays downfield.
The Patriots quarterback is currently the best deep ball passer in the league with a perfect passer rating (158.3) on passes of 21-plus air yards.
On Sunday, Maye will have to take what’s there, get rid of the ball quickly and not force it downfield.
Given success other teams have had, don’t be surprised if McDaniels has Maye attack the intermediate zones on the field. That seems to be the sweet spot cracking Schwartz’ defense.
“They put pressure on the quarterback, and they do it through their players and their identity. They understand what they want to do and how they want to play,” Vrabel said. “They want to force you into mistakes if you give up loose plays or guys get on the edge of somebody. You’ve got an elite edge rusher on the outside, and if you can’t step up it’s going to be hard to protect.”
Rookie left tackle Will Campbell will likely have help dealing with Garrett, but Schwartz also likes to move his star pass rusher around. So the offensive line, as a whole, will be taxed and have to be ready to defend the Browns superstar.
“He’s one of the truly great players in the league. There’s no doubt about it. He presents all kinds of issues,” McDaniels said of Garrett. “Their front-four is exceptional, and it’s not just Myles. It’s as good of a pass rush as we’ve seen.”
Will Maye be as good as he’s been navigating the mine fields in recent weeks, defeating pressure, and making winning plays to his receivers?
Will he continue to wear the red cape and lead the team to another victory?
That’s the burning question heading into Sunday’s game with the visiting Browns.
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