Drake Maye and the New England Patriots Are Finally Back on Track

The New England Patriots’ 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders has firmly pointed them in the right direction for the remainder of the season.

New England started out the season looking like a shell of their former self. Coming off a Super Bowl loss to the Seattle Seahawks, the Patriots made a move to pair up elite wide receiver AJ Brown with MVP runner-up Drake Maye. 

However, the start of the season went differently than fans would have hoped. The Patriots lost two of their first three games, most notably losing to the Seahawks with backup quarterback Drew Lock and getting blown out 35-6 by the Jacksonville Jaguars.

Brown quickly went down with an injury, and Maye looked shell-shocked in the pocket. Maye’s first three games pointed towards last season’s success being a fluke. Through three weeks, Maye threw only one touchdown and six interceptions. 

A Week 4 win over the Buffalo Bills was a nudge in the right direction, but the most important thing for the Patriots after that was finding consistency. The blowout win against the Raiders brought exactly that. 

Maye had his best game this season, throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns, adding another touchdown on the ground. While he certainly will not be in any MVP conversations anytime soon, the performance indicates he has once again found his form. 

The big win is exactly what New England needed heading into its next stretch of games. The Patriots face the New York Jets, Chicago Bears, and Miami Dolphins in the coming weeks. New England should realistically win a minimum of two games from the stretch. 

Brown is slated to return next week against the Jets, bringing the Patriots’ offense back to full force. While many counted New England out of contention early, the Patriots have quickly saved their season with Maye leading the line.