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Patriots Make Drake Maye-Tom Brady Announcement
Eric Canha-Imagn Images
  • Drake Maye led the New England Patriots to a 25-19 win over the New Orleans Saints.
  • Maye matched a long-standing Tom Brady team record on Sunday.
  • Patriots are now tied with the Bills for first place in the AFC East.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye still has a long way to go before he is able to enter Tom Brady territory in terms of being one of the greatest QBs in franchise history. The 23-year-old, however, inched closer toward this objective with a strong performance in the Patriots’ Week 6 win against the New Orleans Saints.

Maye kept it going for the Patriots on Sunday, leading his team to a 25-19 victory over the Saints in a road game at Caesars Superdome. Maye completed 18-of-26 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. The third-overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft also added nine carries for 28 rushing yards.

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) signs autographs after a game against the Washington Commanders. Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Thanks in large part to Maye’s strong performance, the Patriots logged their third straight victory to improve to 4-2 on the season. Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills fell to 4-2 following a 24-14 loss to the Atlanta Falcons on Monday night, leaving New England and Buffalo tied for the top spot in the AFC East.

Maye did not exactly have a Brady-esque performance against the Saints, but the former North Carolina Tar Heels star etched his name in the Patriots' history books with his consistent play.

New England took to social media on Monday to announce Maye’s latest career milestone.

“. @Patriots QB @DrakeMaye2 joined QB @TomBrady as the only players in team history with 3+ games of 200+ passing yards, 2+ passing TDs & a 135+ passer rating in a single season with his performance at New Orleans.

“Brady did so in 2010 (three games) & 2007 (four games),” Patriots Communications posted on X.

In 20 seasons with the Patriots, Brady led the team to the Super Bowl nine times, winning six of them. Maye, on the other hand, is currently on his second season in New England, and the young QB still has a lot to prove before he’s even considered as a potential all-time great.

At the same time, however, there’s no denying the fact that being mentioned in the same sentence as the GOAT says a lot about Maye. It’s still very early on in his NFL career, but it’s hard not to buy in on the elite potential of this young man.

Maye’s next chance to further lay the foundation of his legacy will be on Sunday. The Patriots will be on the road again in a Week 7 matchup against the 1-5 Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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