Drake Maye Won MVP in the Meadowlands on Sunday

From the opening drive, Maye operated the Patriots’ offense like a veteran who has seen every coverage, every blitz and every mistake a defense can make. The Jets threw pressure, zone looks and desperation at him. None of it mattered. The ball came out on time. The reads were decisive. The throws were surgical.

New England scored touchdowns on six of its first seven meaningful possessions, and Maye spread the wealth while doing it. Five different Patriots caught touchdown passes, a reflection not only of the quarterback’s vision but of his willingness to weaponize everyone on the roster. Tight ends found space in the seams. Running backs slipped into the flat untouched. Receivers caught passes in stride and turned routine plays into chunk gains.

The stat line was staggering even by elite standards: a 90.5% completion rate, 12.2 yards per attempt, zero turnovers and a game script so lopsided the Patriots had the luxury of protecting their most valuable asset for January.

There are quarterbacks who accumulate numbers. There are quarterbacks who elevate systems. Then there are quarterbacks who elevate everyone. On Sunday, Maye was firmly in the third category.

It wasn’t lost on anyone that this performance came on the road, in the division, with playoff positioning at stake. It followed last week’s clutch victory over Baltimore, when Maye engineered a late comeback against one of the league’s most physical defenses — a reminder that his brilliance isn’t confined to clean pockets and favorable scripts.

That combination — explosive efficiency paired with late-game poise — is what separates MVP candidates from everyone else.

Head coach Mike Vrabel deserves his share of the credit. The Patriots have played with edge and clarity all season, hallmarks of a locker room that believes in its direction and its quarterback. Vrabel’s reputation as a players’ coach has translated seamlessly, particularly with a young signal-caller who thrives on trust and accountability. Maye has been empowered, not constrained, and the results have been overwhelming.

New England’s resurgence has been one of the league’s defining storylines, and it starts under center. The Patriots now sit on the doorstep of clinching the AFC East, riding an offense that looks increasingly matchup-proof and a quarterback who appears unfazed by the weight of expectations that once crushed others in this market.

Yes, other MVP candidates have been outstanding. Matthew Stafford has been brilliant. Several stars have put up eye-popping totals. But value isn’t only about volume — it’s about impact. It’s about how a quarterback changes the geometry of a game and the confidence of a roster.

Maye has done that all season. On Sunday, he did it emphatically.

And here’s the part that should give the rest of the league pause: this is only Year 2.

The Patriots aren’t just winning again. They’re rolling. They’re efficient. They’re ruthless when given an opening. And at the center of it all is a quarterback who looks increasingly comfortable carrying both a franchise and a league-wide argument.

Drake Maye didn’t just make his MVP case Sunday afternoon in East Rutherford.

He signed it, sealed it and walked off the field early — because the work was already done.