Copyright MassLive
FOXBOROUGH - With the Patriots landing at roughly the midseason point, it’s a good time to assess how things have gone for the team. Time for some midseason awards. The team, sitting in first place in the AFC East with a 6-2 record with nine games to go, has exceeded expectations to this point. Patriots beat writers Mark Daniels and Karen Guregian hand out the awards, and provide their take for mid-year superlatives. Offensive MVP Daniels: Drake Maye Maye entered this week leading the NFL in passer rating (118.7) and completion percentage (75.2). He’s also fifth in passing yards and tied for sixth in passing touchdowns. At age 23, he’s the third-youngest starting quarterback in the NFL. That’s why his rapid development has been a pleasant surprise. With Maye, the Patriots are a very dangerous offense. He beats you with his legs and athleticism, but also is very accurate with an amazing deep ball. Maye’s a legitimate MVP candidate. Guregian: Drake Maye Take Maye out of the equation, and where are the Patriots? Are they 6-2? On a 5-game win streak? Are they racking up 26.6 points per game, nearly 10 points above last year’s mark? It’s doubtful any of the above take place. And that is one of the biggest elements that define an MVP. Maye has been playing at an outrageously high level the past five weeks. He’s among the leaders in every important QB statistic. His completion percentage (70.5%) is otherworldly. No need to look beyond Maye for this award. Defensive MVP Daniels: Milton Williams Being a defensive tackle, Williams won’t always get the recognition or the numbers. However, he’s a game wrecker. He signed the largest contract in New England franchise history in free agency and has been worth it. Williams has 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hits, and six tackles for loss. He’s much better than those numbers indicate. Harold Landry (5.5 sacks) and K’Lavon Chaisson (4.5 sacks) have been beneficiaries of Williams’ dominant play. Guregian: Marcus Jones Week in week out, Jones makes plays all over the field whether in the secondary as a slot corner, or one of the league’s premier punt returners. Jones was just rewarded for his consistency being named the AFC Defensive Player of the Month for October. Just to give an idea of his impact, during the past four-game stretch with the Patriots going 4-0, Jones recorded 20 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, and two picks while being tied for the league-lead with eight passes defensed. As acting DC Zak Kuhr said of Jones Thursday: “He’s doing some pretty special things right now.” Biggest surprise Daniels: Garrett Bradbury This offseason, the Minnesota Vikings released Bradbury because they wanted to upgrade their center position for a young quarterback (J.J. McCarthy). After the Patriots released David Andrews, they were quick to bring in Bradbury. Expectations weren’t high, but Bradbury has been a rock-solid addition on and off the field. He’s a leader in the locker room and a great human being. On the field, Bradbury has allowed a half sack and two quarterback hits in eight games. He also has no penalties called against him. Guregian: Stefon Diggs Having undergone ACL surgery last October, many figured Diggs might not be ready for the start of the season. Not only was he in the lineup opening day, he was pretty much a full-go during training camp. That was a testament to all the work he put in. Beyond that, he’s not only defied odds, but stands as the team’s leading receiver. And, he’s been a terrific locker room presence. None of that was forecast when he was signed. Biggest disappointment Daniels: Keion White Keion White was supposed to be a starting edge rusher for the Patriots. That’s why they drafted him in the second round in 2023. Instead, he lost his job, getting passed by Chaisson this summer, and this week, was traded to the San Francisco 49ers. White was a non-factor for the Patriots when he played. Last weekend, he was a healthy scratch for the first time in his NFL career. It was a disappointing ending for a high draft pick. Guregian: Rhamondre Stevenson Between his 3.8 yards per carry average, and the return of his fumbling habit, Stevenson hasn’t delivered. With the offense expected to have a heavy run-game presence, Stevenson dropped the ball in the early going, with three fumbles in the first five games. To his credit, he’s been clean during the last three games. But having the fumbling monster rear its ugly head - once down by the goal line, isn’t what Mike Vrabel was looking for with his lead back. Most improved Daniels: Kayshon Boutte The Patriots made wholesale changes to their receiver room this season, signing Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins. They also drafted Kyle Williams in the third round. Throughout the offseason, Boutte emerged from the competition and now looks like a bona fide No. 2 receiver. Boutte, 23, is second on the team in receiving yards (431) and leads the Patriots with five receiving touchdowns. The receiver is second in the NFL in yards per reception (18.7) and tied for eighth for receiving touchdowns. Guregian: Kayshon Boutte Like Maye (MVP), Boutte is the obvious choice. He’s made a significant Year 3 leap. He showed potential last season, but has put it all together to become an explosive No. 2 receiver for the Patriots. His deep ball prowess - long a missing element in the receiver room - is second to none. He leads the team with five touchdown catches, and has a terrific chemistry and connection with Drake Maye. Best offseason move Daniels: Stefon Diggs There was some risk involved when the Patriots signed Diggs to a 3-year, $69 million contract. The 31-year-old receiver, coming off a season-ending ACL injury, came to New England with a lot to prove. Despite a slow start in training camp, the veteran has emerged as the team’s No. 1 receiver and looks like the Diggs of old. Diggs leads the Patriots in receptions (42) and receiving yards (470). He’s also sure-handed, catching 85.7% of his targets. Guregian: Mike Vrabel He’s come in and in short order, changed the culture, turned the Patriots from doormats to contenders, and has changed the perception of the team. The goals he laid out after taking over as head coach for the fired Jerod Mayo weren’t modest. His expectation was to win the division, host home playoff games, and compete for championships. Eight games in, Vrabel has the Patriots well on their way to checking off all the boxes. Worst offseason move Daniels: Wes Schweitzer/O-line depth The Patriots rebuilt their offensive line with Will Campbell, Jared Wilson, Garrett Bradbury, and Morgan Moses. However, the Patriots didn’t exactly build much depth. Their top backup tackle is seventh-round pick Marcus Bryant or Vederian Lowe. Their top backup interior lineman is Ben Brown. Their lone free-agent depth signing, Schweitzer, retired before training camp. Guregian: Trading Joe Milton This is more theoretical, than practical. It made sense to move Milton since he didn’t fit in with Vrabel’s culture and being a team guy. Milton thought he was starter material, and didn’t feel Drake Maye should get the job handed to him. And, behind the scenes, he wasn’t shy about expressing that. That’s fine. The team didn’t need that kind of presence or distraction in the QB room. But, surrendering a developmental quarterback with his talent and upside, a quarterback who had a similar skillset to Maye, and would have kept people in the building and given the Patriots a chance - even if remote - if Maye was injured, didn’t make a lot of sense. Especially in his second year. Best rookie Daniels: Will Campbell The Patriots desperately needed to find a left tackle. That’s why it was always obvious the team was going to draft Campbell with the fourth overall pick. Despite there being concerns about his arm length, Campbell has had a really nice rookie season. He’s stabilized an important position on the offensive line. Campbell looks like a long-term starter in New England. Guregian: Will Campbell Remembering a conversation with Dante Scarnecchia right before the draft, when Campbell’s arm length became a talking point, the legendary offensive line coach scoffed at the notion the LSU prospect couldn’t play left tackle. In Scarnecchia’s mind, the one factor that trumped arm length was this: “Can the kid play?” During the first two months, the answer became clear. With Campbell’s physical gifts, he could. That’s not to say his short arms aren’t a hindrance to some degree. But Campbell makes up for that by how well he moves. He’s strong-willed and nasty, and that’s allowed him to hold his own. The 2025 4th-overall pick has shored up a weak position.
