Maye is ‘going through some stuff’

Drake Maye’s struggles this season have been among the biggest surprises during the current 2026 NFL campaign.

It’s an unexpected regression that the Buffalo Bills and new defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard are looking to exploit when they welcome Maye and the Patriots to Highmark Stadium Sunday afternoon.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Patriots, Leonhard acknowledged that Maye — despite his credentials as the NFL MVP runner-up in 2025 — has been struggling so far this season.

After throwing 31 touchdowns and just eight interceptions last year while completing 72 percent of his throws for 4,394 yards, Maye has taken a sizable step back through three games this year.

Amid New England’s 1-2 start to a new season of football, Maye has completed just 63.8 percent of his throws for 585 yards and just one touchdown — while also coughing up six interceptions and one lost fumble.

“You turn on the tape from last year, and it was dynamic,” Leonhard said of Maye. “He was playing at a really high level the last half of the year, really all season, right? You talk the regular season. Obviously, he had some slip-ups in the playoffs, but the body of work he put on tape last year in the regular season was obviously MVP-level, so impressive.

“And you’re watching a guy now that you can tell he’s going through some stuff and struggling a little bit, but at the same time he drops back and hits his top step and lets one rip, and it’s an explosive play,” Leonhard added. “So you just have to put some pressure on them and hope that the trend continues. But you know, great players are eventually going to come out the other side. You just hope it’s after you play them.”

The road won’t get any easier for Maye and the Patriots in Week 4 against the Bills, with New England’s offense needing to put up points early and often to keep pace with Josh Allen and an elite Buffalo offense.

That’s a task easier said than done, given the state of New England’s banged-up wideout corps, the Patriots’ struggles in the run game, and Maye’s uncharacteristic decision-making and weak throws so far this season.

Leonhard — who served as assistant head coach of the Broncos last season — saw Maye use his legs when needed last year during New England’s AFC title game victory in Denver.

Maye also impressed in his last game in Buffalo, compiling 22-of-30 passes for 273 yards and no turnovers in a dramatic 23-20 win over the Bills in a Week 5 primetime matchup.

But the Bills are hoping that Maye’s struggles carry over into another weekend against an AFC East opponent, with Buffalo edge rusher Greg Rousseau standing as a name to watch after he recorded six sacks in his first three games this year.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Maye acknowledged that Buffalo’s defense under Leonhard is different from the one that Sean McDermott kept a close watch over during his nine-year run as the Bills’ head coach.

“It’s definitely different from the standpoint of what they do structurally. I think they, coming from a defense last year, the Broncos, that we faced that was really good, they want to do some of the similar things, but at the same time, mix it up with their personnel,” Maye said. “So, they have good players that have played a lot in this league.

“You know that he wants to make you earn it, and at the same time, he’ll test you and try to do some things to get you out of plays that you feel are your strong suit.”

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.