The New England Patriots went into Orchard Park and beat the division-rival Buffalo Bills 29-26, thanks to Drake Maye. Maye saved his best performance of the season for his matchup against former MVP Josh Allen and outplayed Allen, showcasing both his arm and his legs.
Through the air, Maye had 269 passing yards and three touchdowns. He also added 54 yards on the ground, including a long of 26 yards. Considering he only had one measly score heading into the game, this signature MVP-caliber performance shows that he is getting over his early-season yips.
Maye’s Ability to Bounce Back Saved New England’s Season
With the game tied at 14 points apiece, Drake Maye committed his lone turnover of the game via an interception on a pass where Romeo Doubs was the intended receiver. While the intercepted pass was actually a catchable ball, it marked Maye’s league-leading eighth turnover of the young season.
After a strong start to the game, doubt started to creep in. How would Maye respond in the second half?
Maye responded hugely in the second half, getting Doubs his second touchdown of the game in the third quarter, and connecting with Efton Chism on a one-handed highlight-reel score late in the fourth quarter after the Bills had retaken the lead.
Is Drake Maye’s Confidence Back?
Earlier in the week during his press conference, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels praised his young signal caller and his ability to move on to the next play. At the time, these comments did not mirror Maye’s performance through three weeks. But the eye test on Sunday showed exactly what McDaniels was praising.
Maye’s impressive comeback performance on Sunday in a tough, divisional game against the Bills showed that he was able to shake off his interception and keep New England’s offense humming.
New England’s schedule does not get any easier as they welcome the as-of-now undefeated Raiders. With a slew of injuries and more players banged up from today’s game, even more will be expected of Maye. But Sunday’s performance against Buffalo showed that a confident Drake Maye, with his dual-threat ability, can go toe-to-toe with the league’s best.
