New England Patriots
“Does this team remind you of last year’s Pats all of a sudden? I think so.”
Tom Brady had plenty of praise for Drake Maye this week. Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
October 22, 2026 | 5:50 PM
2 minutes to read
It feels like a long time ago that Drake Maye was a main target of criticism amid a 1-2 start to the Patriots’ season.
Maye threw for just one touchdown and was knocked for six interceptions and two fumbles (one lost) during that stretch.
He has turned things around quickly for the Patriots, who are looking to win their fourth straight game on Thursday night in a primetime game against the Bears.
During New England’s three-game win streak, Maye has looked more like the QB who was the runner-up for NFL MVP in 2025, with the 24-year-old signal-caller throwing for 878 yards, 10 touchdowns, and one interception in wins over the Bills, Raiders, and Jets while also gaining 103 yards on the ground with a rushing score.
Maye’s resurgent play isn’t much of a surprise to Patriots legend Tom Brady, who commended Maye and his former team during his latest NFL power rankings for Fox Sports.
”That’s right. New England jumps Buffalo this week,” Brady said of the Patriots, who slotted in just ahead of the Bills with the No. 4 spot in his power rankings. “Listen, there’s a very easy explanation for this. In the Tom Brady power rankings, there’s a clear scenario for when the head-to-head tiebreaker applies.
“It’s situations where I, Tom Brady, feel like applying it. Drake, he’s been on fire the last three games. He’s calm in the pocket, making throws in big moments, and taking care of the ball. Does this team remind you of last year’s Pats all of a sudden? I think so.”
Brady praised the young QB’s ability to overcome adversity — as well as the support staff around him in Foxborough.
“I think it shows a ton of mental toughness,” Brady said of Maye. “He got off to a slow start. Look, he’s still a young quarterback. He’s only in year three. He’s got a great play-caller in Josh McDaniels. They’re figuring out what they’re good at. That’s what the Patriots always do, and early in the season.”
Maye and the Patriots will have another daunting test on Thursday, with the Patriots QB set to battle against the player selected two picks ahead of him in the 2024 NFL Draft: Bears QB Caleb Williams.
While Maye seems to have hit his stride when it comes to his decision-making and arm strength, the Patriots QB was quick to deflect praise earlier this week — instead propping up a Patriots offense that has delivered despite a bevy of injuries.
“I think just getting back to trusting the guys around us, trusting myself, trusting what I’m seeing and just getting back to finding a groove early in the game,” Maye said, explaining his improved play. “I kind of mentioned earlier in the season about wanting to make a play so bad and just letting the game come to you. I think that’s one of the biggest things I’ve tried to focus on.
“You want to make the right play instead of the big play. And I’ve tried to really own that, get us in the right plays, try to protect the football and realizing that was really the main thing. We were moving the ball and just finding ways to hurt ourselves. Speaking for myself, I couldn’t get out of my own way. Just trying to get back to that and knowing the guys that we have, the players that we have and the player that I am to get back out there and get things going.”
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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