When Patriots OC Josh McDaniels first knew Drake Maye could be special

First-year New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel bringing longtime offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels back to the organization last winter could ultimately prove to be the decision that helped second-year quarterback Drake Maye become the Most Valuable Player of the NFL. 

During an appearance on the latest edition of "The Schrager Hour" podcast, McDaniels shared when he realized what Maye could become in the current New England offense. 

Drake Maye wowed Josh McDaniels with one summer moment

"There was one in training camp where there was a broken play, and he scrambled to his right," McDaniels explained while talking about Maye, per Lauren Campbell of MassLive. "He was literally almost out of bounds. He was a couple feet from the sideline. He threw it, and it had to be like 60 yards. (Wide receiver Demario Douglas is) running down the sideline, and I’m like, 'There’s no way he can get the ball to this guy, right?' (Douglas) scores, and the place goes nuts. I kind of looked around like, 'Did anybody else see that? That was nuts.'"

Under McDaniels, Maye lost two of three starts before the 23-year-old helped the Patriots begin what's become a 10-game winning streak. According to Pro Football Reference, Maye began Thursday ranked third in the NFL among qualified players with a 72.2 adjusted QBR, second with a 111.9 passer rating, second with 3,412 passing yards and fourth with 23 passing touchdowns. Over 13 games, he tossed only six interceptions. 

Drake Maye is special beyond his physical gifts

As of Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had Maye second among the betting favorites at +200 odds to claim MVP honors for the ongoing regular season. Matthew Stafford of the Los Angeles Rams topped the list at -180 odds at that time. 

"He’s been blessed with his physical ability and tools, but I don’t want that to take away from all the other things that he does to really put himself in position to be a really, really great player," McDaniels added about Maye. "And he’s a special guy, and we’re lucky to have the opportunity to work with him."

The 11-2 Patriots will clinch the AFC East title if they notch a home win over the 9-4 Buffalo Bills this coming Sunday. On Thursday, New England was a 1.5-point betting underdog for that game.