Patriots' Drake Maye Reflects On Full Circle Moment

In the fourth quarter of the New England Patriots' Week 3 game last season, then-rookie quarterback Drake Maye stepped foot onto the MetLife Stadium turf for his NFL debut. Maye finished 4-for-8 with 22 passing yards and was sacked twice.

It's only fitting that the next time he returned to that stadium was one of his signature performances, an outing so good it might be the crown jewel in his MVP-type season. In the 2025 rendition, Maye was yanked in the third quarter after going 19-of-21 for 256 yards and a career-high five touchdowns.

He was accurate beyond belief, and now the Patriots are AFC East champions. A far cry from where the team was a season ago.

"I was thinking that in the fourth quarter," Maye said postgame following the team's 42-10 drubbing. "I remember my first action last year. It's pretty funny looking back, the stadium was pumped for that Thursday night game and it's kind of full circle moment just of how far we've come and kind of the flip side of things, this year compared to last and how much fun we're having out there and even had some fun last year when I got my first action, it was still pretty fun. But yeah, I think just try to be myself every day and don't let anything change and from there just trust in the Lord and that's what's gotten us here and try not to change that."

This Is A Different Pats Team Than Last Season's Meadowlands Trip

The Patriots are now 13-3. Who would have thought that?

After a rookie season under Jerod Mayo that ended in another top-five draft pick, the Patriots retooled. They went out and protected Maye, both with the stable coaching staff that came in and the players they acquired. He went from a player fans could place their hopes on, to someone they can now rely on.

And a trip to the Super Bowl is what is being expected of the fast learner of this new offense.

"No, I wouldn't say it was quick," Maye said. "Just trying to prepare the same every week and not change that part of it. The guys around me have been the biggest reason and coach (Josh) McDaniels and just taking coaching and taking coaching from coach (Mike) Vrabel and everybody that wants the best for me. And whether it's hard coaching or not, just try to do what's best for me and just trusting them and go out there and have some fun."