Patriots' Drake Maye makes big admission about MVP chatter after win over Saints

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye showed true leadership as he credited his teammates and coaches for his stellar outing in this past Sunday's 25-19 win at the New Orleans Saints that improved the Patriots to 4-2 on the season. 

During a Monday appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI, Maye remained humble when it was mentioned that he has emerged as a sleeper Most Valuable Player Award candidate this fall. 

Drake Maye not focused on MVP chatter amid winning streak

"Oh shoot. No, I’ve got a lot of work to do," Maye explained during the segment, per Conor Ryan of Boston.com. "I think that’s a long way away. Getting some more wins is what I’m focused on. I think that stuff all comes to life when you start making plays and winning games."

Maye completed 18-of-26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns versus the Saints to guide the Patriots to a third straight victory. ESPN stats show that he enters Week 7 ranked seventh in the league among qualified players with a 72.3 adjusted QBR, fourth with a 112.5 passer rating, fifth with 1,522 passing yards and second with a 73.2 percent completion percentage on the campaign. According to StatMuse, only five quarterbacks tallied more combined passing and rushing touchdowns than Maye (12) over the season's first six weeks. 

Is Drake Maye "juiced-up" to face Mike Vrabel's former team?

As of Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had Maye tied for sixth among the betting favorites (with two others) at +1800 odds to claim the MVP Award for the ongoing season. This coming Sunday, New England will play at a Tennessee Titans (1-5) side that fired head coach Brian Callahan on Monday. 

That matchup could be an emotional experience for reasons that have nothing to do with Callahan's dismissal. Current Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel held that job with Tennessee for six seasons until he was fired in January 2024.

"I think you expect a juiced-up coach every week," Maye said about Vrabel's mindset for the Week 7 clash. "He’s always juiced up, and I think that’s the best thing about him. He’s not going to change for the opponent … He’s going to stay honest, and wants us to practice hard."

On Tuesday, ESPN BET had the Patriots as 6.5-point road favorites against the Titans.