The Patriots’ midseason turnaround has a new and loud debate attached: how much of New England’s revival can be attributed to rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and how much to head coach Mike Vrabel. Analysts and fans have been split since the stretch run began. One analyst even went so far as to put Maye ahead of another rising star:
“Drake Maye this year is … everything Jayden Daniels was last year and what we thought he’d ascend to be this year. And so for me, it’s Drake Maye.”
"Drake Maye this year is … everything Jayden Daniels was last year and what we thought he'd ascend to be this year. And so for me, it's Drake Maye."@Realrclark25 feels Drake Maye deserves more credit for the Patriots' turnaround than Mike Vrabel 👀 pic.twitter.com/oIGcLcDDxX
— First Take (@FirstTake) November 13, 2025
How Drake Maye Turned the Patriots Around: Inside His MVP-Caliber Leap Under Mike Vrabel?
New England Patriots, Drake Maye, NFL
Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws the ball before a game against the Seattle Seahawks Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
Maye ranks among the NFL leaders this season with more than 2,500 passing yards and 19 touchdown passes through Week 10, while posting one of the top passer ratings in the league. Those figures follow a rookie year that already included a Pro Bowl nod and 2,276 passing yards, proving the talent was real coming into Year 2.
Vrabel’s arrival altered the context. New schemes, personnel shifts, and Josh McDaniels’ offensive tweaks have measurably improved protection and play design. The Patriots’ win streaks and improved red-zone efficiency correlate with those changes.Reuters noted Maye’s role in key victories, while also documenting the broader club’s improvement.
Still, individual moments define narratives. Maye’s 91.3% completion game, a new single-game franchise mark, supplied the eye test that fuels MVP whispers and analyst hyperbole alike. That performance underscored both precision and the benefits of clean pocket play.
The analyst’s saying Maye is delivering the season-long leap scouts hoped for in Daniels last year, but in a superior supporting cast. In plain terms: high-end production plus improved surroundings magnify a young QB’s perceived value.
Theanalyst’s complete line: “Drake Maye this year is … everything Jayden Daniels was last year and what we thought he’d ascend to be this year. And so for me, it’s Drake Maye.”
Maye’s counting stats and historic single-game marks supply the raw evidence. Vrabel’s schematic and cultural changes supply the causal story. Both threads are true. The debate is not merely rhetorical; it maps directly onto personnel decisions and playoff projections moving forward.