Cam Newton isn’t as high on the Patriots and Drake Maye as others seem to be, even calling New England’s success “fool’s gold” due to its schedule.
But Maye isn’t letting Newton — who the quarterback has cited as someone he looked up to growing up — take up space in his head.
“I don’t even know what show he’s on,” Maye said during his weekly appearance on WEEI. "I think they get paid to make remarks and make certain comments. So, I just worry about what people in our organization think, and worry about we think and what my teammates think. People are going to have different opinions. I’m just going out there on Sunday and worrying about ourselves.”
Newton’s biggest issue has been the Patriots playing “sorry scrubs” week after week, negating the fact New England beat the Buffalo Bills and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road.
While the schedule is statistically one of the easiest in the NFL, it’s not something the Patriots have any control over.
“I can only coach one team at a time. I don’t make the schedule. Every team beats every (team),” coach Mike Vrabel said recently on WEEI.. “That’s just mind-boggling to me, in the National Football League, that there be strength of schedule. You got a salary cap. Everybody spends the same amount of money. So you guys know in this league, that that doesn’t really mean anything.”
Newton has also taken issue with Maye being referred to as a top-five quarterback, noting he wants to see the second-year quarterback play consistently against “well and capable” competition.
Maye’s play this year — despite what some may say about the schedule — has put him in the MVP conversation. His 2,836 yards this season ranks first in the NFL, and his 73.2 QBR is second.
The Patriots are 9-2 and sit atop the AFC East standings. They’ve also won eight games in a row and have the 3-7 Cincinnati Bengals in Week 12.
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