FOXBOROUGH – The Gillette Stadium crowd had seen enough.
With 1:49 left in the third quarter, Drake Maye escaped out of the pocket and took off. The Patriots quarterback ran downfield as fans went wild. After his 28-yard run, Maye stood up and went back to the huddle, where his teammates made fun of him for his awkward slide.
As Maye and his teammates were speaking, chants broke out for the first time.
“MVP! MVP! MVP!”
Soon enough, Maye was back under center, focused on the play call and a talented Cleveland Browns defense in front of him. As those three letters echoed through a packed Gillette Stadium, the young quarterback dropped back and delivered.
In a truly synchronous moment, Maye threw a perfect 39-yard touchdown to Kayshon Boutte at the same time Patriots fans were chanting “MVP.”
Sunday’s win over the Browns marked another week where Maye looked like a special player.
“The guys were making fun of me about my slide back in the huddle on the long run, so I didn’t hear it,” Maye said. “But the fans have been awesome all season. It’s been really cool really to see the difference from last year to this year. Man, it’s been a journey.”
It was a special moment inside Gillette Stadium for a special quarterback. At 23 years old, Maye is still one of the youngest players on the Patriots roster. He started this season as the second-youngest quarterback in the NFL, behind J.J. McCarthy.
After showing potential at the University of North Carolina and promise as a rookie on a bad 4-13 Patriots team, Maye has developed faster than many anticipated. As seen on Sunday, against one of the best defenses in the NFL, this second-year quarterback is the real deal, and now, the 6-2 Patriots once again look like contenders.
“We’ve known what type of baller he is,” Patriots right tackle Morgan Moses said. “We’ve seen him in college. You saw him maneuver last year. And you look forward to that. We’ve got a hell of a quarterback behind us. We’ve got a hell of a group of offense, defense, and special teams. When you play complimentary football, that’s what it looks like.”
“It’s huge,” Patriots center Garrett Bradbury added. “It doesn’t feel like he’s a young quarterback. He’s a playmaker. It’s a lot of fun.”
When it came to preparing for the 2-5 Browns, Mike Vrabel leaned into their defense. All week long, offensive players heard about how this group was the best the Patriots would face. This, they heard, was a true litmus test.
The Browns entered this week ranked first in the NFL in total defense, allowing an average of 256.1 yards per game. They were third in passing defense (173.7 yards per game) and fourth in rushing defense (82.4 yards per game).
In the first half, that was seen. The Patriots offense stalled twice inside the 10-yard line and settled for three field goals. Maye was also intercepted for the first time since Week 2 at 13:12 of the second quarter.
In the first quarter, Maye was 3-of-5 for 37 yards. By halftime, he was 10-of-16 for 168 yards with the interception.
“We know what we have at quarterback, and he’s done an amazing job through these last weeks,” Moses said. “Him as a football player - running the ball, maneuvering through the pocket, we heard all week about this being the No. 1 defense, and we took that challenge and ran with it.”
After the half, the Patriots adjusted, and Maye showed everyone what he was capable of.
He completed a 19-yard pass to Mack Hollins and then hit Hunter Henry for a 7-yard touchdown in their first drive of the third quarter. Following a Robert Spillane interception, Maye threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Stefon Diggs just under 3 minutes later.
Then came the moment late in the third quarter.
Maye took off, showcasing his elite athleticism in his 28-yard run. It’s unusual for a quarterback this big (6-4, 225 pounds) to move this fast. Combine that with his arm strength, which was showcased in his 39-yard touchdown pass to Boutte, and you see why those “MVP!” chants were legitimate.
“It’s awesome. He’s a leader,” tight end Austin Hooper said. “Whenever you see him out there making plays, being him, and you see the crowd getting into and giving him that. I really didn’t even notice until the second or third time they chanted it. It was a pleasant experience for sure. I’m so happy for him.”
“You can’t block that out,” Bradbury added. “But we’ve had three straight games on the road, and to be back in front of our fans, this environment, it was pretty awesome. Gave them something to cheer for today. And 10, Drake’s going to do his thing.”
Maye’s name has come up in MVP conversations over the last few weeks.
Last week, he set a Patriots franchise record by completing 91.3% of his passes (21-of-23). He entered this game against a top defense, ranked first in completion percentage, tied for first in passer rating, eighth in passing yards, and tied for eighth in passing touchdowns.
On Sunday, despite being sacked six times (five by Myles Garrett), Maye still finished with 282 passing yards and three touchdowns with a 135.8 passer rating. He also added 50 yards on the ground.
Sunday’s performance was Maye’s seventh-straight game with a 100-plus passer rating. He’s one game away from tying Tom Brady’s franchise record, set in 2007 and 2010.
It’s been a performance that’s had fans and Patriots teammates buzzing alike.
“Scoring a touchdown, throwing the ball, then the MVP chants,” Boutte said. “I was joking with [Maye] last week about MVP, too. He doesn’t like to hear it, but I think it’s the truth.”
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