MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Tua Tagovailoa has never lost to the New England Patriots. But he’s also never beaten Drake Maye.
So before you pencil in yet another Miami Dolphins win over the post-Tom Brady Pats, at least consider the possibility things could be different with Maye under center going forward.
Tua Tagovailoa vs. Drake Maye I
Jacoby Brissett was the Patriots’ starter when the Dolphins won in Foxboro in Week 5.
But the Dolphins will probably need more than the 15 points they scored in that game to get it done this time around.
Maye, in his first seven NFL games, has been a clear upgrade over Brissett, completing 66.8% of his passes, averaging 6.5 yards per attempt, and throwing nine touchdowns to six interceptions. Maye’s season QB+ rating is 74 (which ranks 21st league-wide).
Most importantly, the moment hasn’t seemed too big for him. Maye might not have the experience and help needed to beat Tagovailoa (who’s 6-0 against the Patriots in his career), but Miami’s task will certainly get harder in years to come.
“I think football is easy and people are complicated, and people try to complicate it,” Maye told reporters Wednesday. “I think the best thing to do at the end of the day is simplify it, and try to make it simple and be on the same page. I think we’re learning that and feeling our way through that.”
Added Tagovailoa: “I respect his game a lot. He’s a rookie, so you know there’s gonna be bumps within his journey, but you know you see a lot of flashes of things that he can do, not just inside the pocket, outside of the pocket as well. I got a lot of respect for him and looking forward to competing against him. … With the right people around him surrounding him, I think he’ll be doing good.”
Tua Tagovailoa on Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/LezCUYif0r
— Adam Beasley (@AdamHBeasley) November 20, 2024
He almost certainly cannot do any worse than what New England has had at the quarterback position since Brady left for the Buccaneers in 2020.
The Patriots have a total offensive EPA of -40.43 in five games against the Dolphins since McDaniel took over in 2022.
Tagovailoa, meanwhile, has completed 68.3% of his attempts with a 7.1 yards-per-attempt average and seven touchdowns in his career against the Patriots. The Dolphins have outscored the Patriots by 59 points in those six games.
But if Maye turns into what Jerod Mayo and his coaching staff believe he will, the next decade-plus will be a decidedly different proposition for the Dolphins.
McDaniel told reporters that Maye has shown signs of mirroring what he put on tape at North Carolina: “A true quarterback who has the ability to gain the confidence of his teammates and lead and orchestrate an offense. … A guy that can make plays in a multitude of ways.”
Added McDaniel: “I think that’s been a huge bonus to [the Patriots’] offense as of late. They had some explosive plays, whether he threw it outside the pocket or he scrambled outside the pocket. And he’s a guy that you expect to continue to get better, and is impressive.”