Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images
“You Just Didn’t Watch Them Play”: Drake Maye Gets Defended By Ex-NFL QB After Comeback Performance Vs. Raiders 1
Drake Maye has completely turned his bad form around, and with it, the New England Patriots, too. The team’s 45-17 win against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 5 signals a comeback as serious AFC contenders. The media criticized Maye after the Patriots’ slow start to the season, but the quarterback proved to everyone that he can still sling it like last season.
New England Patriots, Drake Maye, NFL
Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) exits the field after the loss against the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images
Dan Orlovsky Shuts Down Drake Maye Skeptics
Maye threw for 374 yards and five total touchdowns against the Raiders, capping off an eight-touchdown run over two weeks, and Dan Orlovsky defended the young quarterback against critics on Monday’s First Take.
“If you doubted New England through three games, you just didn’t watch them play,” Orlovsky said. “They were about Drake Maye. Simply put, Drake Maye had not played well. The turnovers were a massive part of that. He was a shell of what he was last year.
“If you watch New England play, at least specifically defensively, they had been fantastic… It was just about Drake figuring out how to get himself out of that slump… He’s now back to being aggressive down the field and completing those tight window throws that we were accustomed to last year that have come back in the last two weeks.”
In the last two games, Maye put up around 643 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, and a rushing score with one pick.
“So, absolutely, this team is a contender because they’ve got a defense that is as violent and as physical as anybody in the NFL, and They’ve got a quarterback that is mentally tough,” Orlovsky continued. “He’s kind of out of that slump that we had seen him in over the last five or six starts going back to last season. And they’ve done this all without A.J. Brown. Honestly, my big takeaway about New England through five weeks is there’s a lot of pressure on A.J. Brown now cuz this offense is starting to roll. The quarterback is starting to roll, and he hasn’t been on the field. And so I just want to see once he comes back the impact that he is expected to have if it’s that.”
“If you doubted New England through three games, you just didn’t watch them play.”
—@danorlovsky7 defends Drake Maye and the Patriots against the doubters 😤 pic.twitter.com/jnfgp41cq0
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 12, 2026
With a 3-2 record now, the Patriots have pushed themselves back into contention within a stacked AFC conference that includes the Bills, Chiefs, and Ravens. They will look to keep that momentum going in Week 6 in a divisional showdown against the New York Jets.
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