Patriots reemerge as contenders after dominant win over Raiders

Drake Maye shines once again as Patriots pick up second straight win

However, Maye got back on track last week against the Buffalo Bills and it doesn’t look like he is turning back. He had another spirited performance on Sunday afternoon in a 45-17 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, throwing for 374 yards and four touchdowns and giving his team a winning record for the first time this year.

After back-to-back impressive offensive performances, it seems like the Patriots are right back in the mix to make a run in the AFC. They are 3-2 with the toughest part of their schedule behind them, so they could return to their 2025 form if they keep up this pace.

New England is averaging over 30 points per game in the last two contests, and it is largely due to Maye’s play. Wide receiver A.J. Brown has been out since Week 1, but the star quarterback has still thrown for nearly 600 yards in the last two games to go along with seven touchdowns.

Maye is back to looking like one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL, and that’s something the Patriots need him to continue if they want to make noise in the AFC. They have the Bills in their division who are perennial contenders, along with the Kansas City Chiefs and Baltimore Ravens in the conference.

All three teams have some of the best signal-callers in the league, and it isn’t often that they lose to a player who isn’t on their level. These two weeks could be instrumental to Maye’s confidence and a potential deep playoff run for the Patriots.