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Drake Maye and the New England Patriots have been one of the biggest surprises in the NFL this year, as they are 6-2 entering a Week 9 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. Things got off to a slow start, as the Patriots were 1-2 on the season. However, since then, the team has not lost and Maye is emerging as a legitimate MVP candidate. Since the opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, Maye has thrown for at least 200 yards and a rating of at least 100. He is only the fifth quarterback to do that in a season, joining Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers. All four of those guys went on to win the MVP that season. Drake Maye is one of five QBs to have 200 or more passing yards and a passer rating of 100 or higher in seven straight games in the same season. The others (Rodgers, Brady, Peyton Manning, Mahomes) each won MVP when they did it. https://t.co/56A0o7we5T— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) November 2, 2025 What makes it even more impressive was that all those guys were further along in their career, as he is the youngest to ever do it. When Mike Vrabel took the job this year, the expectation was that the Patriots would take a step in the right direction. However, even those who love the Patriots the most couldn’t have seen this coming. Maye has thrown for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions on the season. Since the third game of the year, he has only thrown one pick. The road win against the Buffalo Bills was the game that really opened the eyes of NFL fans across the country. He led the Patriots into Buffalo, and let Josh Allen know there was a new contender in an AFC East that the Bills have dominated for years. Josh Allen #17 of the Buffalo Bills greets Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots following the game at Highmark Stadium on December 22, 2024 in Orchard Park, New York. Buffalo defeated New England 24-21. RIght now, everything is going right in New England, and a huge reason why is because of the play of Maye. If he is able to continue to play like he is, then the talks of him joining those other four quarterbacks as MVPs are only going to continue to ramp up. Sunday could end up being a huge day for Maye and the Patriots. They are currently in first place in the AFC East, as the Bills are right behind them at 5-2. The Bills have a huge game against the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday, and the Patriots could find themselves in the driver’s seat in the AFC East at the end of Week 9. For more on the New England Patriots and the NFL, visit Newsweek Sports.
