Dan Orlovsky shares how Patriots' Drake Maye 'dominated' first 12 weeks of season

Second-year quarterback Drake Maye becoming a legitimate MVP candidate is a major reason the New England Patriots will enter their "Monday Night Football" home game versus the New York Giants (2-10) at 10-2. 

For a piece published on Monday morning, former quarterback and current ESPN NFL analyst Dan Orlovsky spoke with ESPN's Mike Reiss about how Maye has taken such a leap while working with first-year Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.

How Drake Maye is already one of the best QBs in the NFL

"His ownership and command of the line of scrimmage has dominated the season," Orlovsky said about Maye. "His pocket movement and presence/feel has become one of the best in the NFL."

Vrabel bringing McDaniels, the Patriots' longtime OC who previously coached Tom Brady, back to the organization this past offseason could prove to be the best thing for Maye's overall growth. According to Pro Football Reference, Maye began Monday leading the NFL among qualified players with a 71 percent completion percentage and 9.24 adjusted yards gained per pass attempt on the season. He's third with a 73.0 adjusted QBR and second with a 110.7 passer rating. 

Additionally, StatMuse shows that Maye entered December ranked eighth in the NFL with 23 combined passing and rushing touchdowns. At that same time, he was second with 3,437 combined passing and rushing yards on the campaign. 

As of Monday, DraftKings Sportsbook had Maye second among the betting favorites at +120 odds to claim the MVP Award. Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams topped the list at +105 odds. 

Mike Vrabel shares "most important" thing Patriots must do through January

If the Patriots defeat the Giants, New England will enter its Week 14 bye sitting atop the AFC standings. That's all well and good, but Vrabel recently reminded his players that earning wins isn't the only objective for the first-place club ahead of Christmas. 

"There's a lot more that we can do. We can play better. We can play with better details," Vrabel said while discussing the Giants game. "So, we'll have to kind of keep that fine balance of understanding that wins are important, but improving at this time of the year is what's most important."

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Patriots as 7.5-point home favorites against the Giants. If that game becomes a laugher, New England players should be able to enjoy a needed break before they start preparing for a home game against the Washington Commanders (3-9) on Dec. 14.