New England Patriots
“Anybody could have been down on themselves. Not him. He came to work.”
FOXBOROUGH — Drake Maye doled out plenty of damage against the Raiders on Sunday afternoon, accounting for 399 total yards of offense and five touchdowns in a 45-17 win at Gillette Stadium.
But as expected, the 24-year-old quarterback wasn’t going to pat himself on the back after New England’s lopsided win in Foxborough.
Much like how he spread the wealth with his targets against Las Vegas — with six different players recording at least three catches — Maye handed out praise to just about every part of New England’s operation on Sunday.
There was credit given to Josh McDaniels and the Patriots’ coaching staff. A salute to the offensive line and the run game. And a tip of the cap to a banged-up pass-catching corps that still shredded Las Vegas’ secondary.
“It’s just awesome for me to see guys like Caleb [Lomu] getting in there and playing his butt off and different guys and Pop [DeMario Douglas] have been playing and running routes well all year and finally getting rewarded,” Maye said. “I just love to see guys that do the right things over and over and finally get rewarded in the game, and I think that’s one of the best things about my position is being able to spread the wealth and see other guys succeed and it’s beautiful to watch.”
As for the praise centered around Maye’s own play under center? His teammates were more than ready to return the favor.
“The way our offense was moving the ball, seemingly scoring every possession — it definitely takes some stress off the defense. … But it’s just fun to see Drake smiling big on the sidelines,” linebacker Robert Spillane said. “That confidence is obviously back, and just watching him lead and push the ball down the field was fun.”
A disheartening 1-2 start to the season stemmed from Maye’s sub-standard play — especially coming off a 2025 season in which he was runner-up in NFL MVP voting.
Entering last week’s road bout against the Bills, Maye was seemingly rudderless while trying to navigate Josh McDaniels’ offense — throwing for just one touchdown and getting knocked for seven turnovers.
But in the two games since then, the Patriots have delivered statement wins over the Bills and a surprising Raiders club — with Maye completing 48-of-71 throws for 643 passing yards, seven passing touchdowns, 79 rushing yards, one rushing score, and two total turnovers.
It’s a turnaround that hasn’t surprised many in New England’s locker room.
“We’ve got a quarterback that’s a hell of a leader,” offensive tackle Morgan Moses said. “This whole team believes in him and he’s our guy. It doesn’t matter what goes on, we know the capabilities that he has and he never gets down, he never gets too high. And that’s what you want in your leader. We look forward to having 10 behind us every game.”
“As the QB goes, so goes the team” is seemingly a foregone conclusion in today’s NFL.
But even during those weeks where Maye appeared adrift and routinely making uncharacteristic decisions, DeMario Douglas said that the third-year QB didn’t let those missteps on the field bleed into his demeanor in the locker room — helping pull the team out of that lackluster start to the 2026 campaign.
The stakes may not be as high as Maye’s initial struggles against Seattle and Jacksonville. But Douglas, Kyle Williams, and several other players further down New England’s depth chart felt like Maye in early-season struggles, with lofty expectations adding to the pressure.
But Douglas — fresh off the first two-touchdown performance of his NFL career — said that following in Maye’s footsteps provided the blueprint he needed to bounce back on Sunday.
“That’s our leader. I feel like, for the offense and defense. How he carries himself, it means a lot,” Douglas said. “I feel like how he carries himself is by example. I feel like for us, we need to carry ourselves like that too. The ups and downs — still got to stay straight, man. And I love how Drake carries himself. It’s a blessing.
“Anybody could —from those past games, anybody could have been down on themselves. Not him. He came to work. He came to work and he still was like, ‘Hey, I need you.’ I got your back, Drake. It’s like that on this team, and I feel like, man, that’s what’s been taking us to that next step.”
A resurgent Drake Maye is good news for the Patriots — and bad news for the rest of the NFL.
But Maye isn’t the only player on New England’s sideline who feels as though this roster is starting to find its stride after a rocky start.
“I’m just proud of these guys for stepping up,” Maye said. “I mean, offense, defense, overall as a football team, that’s a – I think we talk about identity with Coach Vrabel. I mean, that’s a Coach Vrabel football team of stepping up, being ready to take advantage of your opportunity, and he always says when somebody gets their opportunity, he’s excited to watch them play, and I think guys are living that. You saw that today.”
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