New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye is gearing up for one last game this season when he takes the field against the Buffalo Bills in Week 18. It’s been a rollercoaster year for Maye, filled with lots of ups and downs, but he’s staying positive and focused on improving each day.
“I’m feeling good. I’m excited to get out here at practice,” Maye said during his press conference on Wednesday. “One more opportunity. One last time with this team. This team, we’ll never be together—same team, same guys, same squad—going out there one more time at home.”
How Has Drake Maye Played This Season?
Maye’s rookie season has been filled with ups and downs. Saturday’s performance in a nationally televised game against the Los Angeles Chargers was arguably his worst of the year.
He struggled against LA’s defense — ranked fourth in PFN’s Defens+ Rankings — finishing with a -0.35 EPA per dropback (EPA/DB) and completing just 54.5% of his passes for 117 yards. Even from a clean pocket, Maye posted a disappointing -0.21 EPA/DB, and his 14.3% third-down conversion rate highlighted his struggles under pressure.
“I just really didn’t get in the rhythm, Maye said on Wednesday. “I think getting in the rhythm, I think that’s part of easy completions, finding these completions. It’s partly on me, and I think just offensively, we didn’t execute. We didn’t execute.
“They were a good defense; obviously, they’re top defense in the league for a reason. They had good players, and I think we just didn’t execute. We had a chance where we could move the ball on them some and had a chance to make some plays; I think we just didn’t execute. My ball placement can be better, and against the blitz, I can be better and little things in that area.”
It wasn’t just Maye’s struggles; the offense as a whole had a tough time against one of the league’s best defenses. In fact, the Patriots’ offense was ranked 27th in Pro Football Network’s Week 17 Offense+ Rankings.
Overall, their 2024 numbers are a hot mess (28th in EPA per play and yards per play), but the willingness to admit as much and commit this season to developing Maye is something that this fan base can get excited about.
The rookie has taken his lumps thus far, but he’s also shown promise by way of his athleticism and processing speed. Maye is far from a finished product, and there will likely be more downs than ups over the final stretch. But New England is making it clear that it’s willing to lose the battle of 2024 in the hope of winning the war of the next handful of seasons.
Of the teams toward the bottom quarter of our rankings, this is the one with the most upward mobility over the next 12 months. Given that winning big in 2024 was never in the cards for the Patriots, that trajectory makes this season a success.
Where Does Drake Maye Rank in PFN’s QB Rankings?
Here at Pro Football Network, we’ve developed our Quarterback+ (QB+) metric to look at quarterbacks in a different way. It’s not just about yards or touchdowns—it’s about what happens in key moments, like third downs or under pressure.
We also look at “clutch” plays, where the quarterback steps up when it matters most. Is it perfect? No, but it gives a clearer picture of how quarterbacks perform.
For Maye, the numbers aren’t great this year. He ranks 21st in EPA per dropback (0.02), 28th in third-down conversions (34.6%), and 28th in net yards per attempt (6.1). But he’s also dealing with a tough situation—an offensive line that’s struggled to protect him and a lack of top-tier weapons around him.
Even with all that, Maye has shown flashes of what he can do, especially in clutch moments. If the Patriots improve the offense around him, things could look very different next year, especially with Maye continuing to learn what it means to be a quarterback in the NFL.
“I think just playing the role as quarterback, being a quarterback in the National Football League,” Maye said when asked about his growth. “I’ve learned a lot from Jacoby [Brissett]. He’s been a huge help with studying the call sheet, studying how to prepare, how to handle guys in the locker room, how to handle a huddle.”
One thing that’s helped Maye is the support from quarterbacks coach Alex Van Pelt.
“He’s done a great job of telling me, ‘Hey, you just threw an interception; you’re still the same guy. Still go out there and rip it,’” Maye said. “You’ve got to play with confidence in this league to play quarterback.”
For Maye, this final game is one more chance to get better and finish on a high note. He’s focused on staying disciplined in the pocket but knows there are times when scrambling is the right move.
“…I mean, I’m trying to be a pocket passer, but at the same time, I think there’s times for scramble plays,” he said. “So no, I wouldn’t say I’m necessarily leaving early at a very high tendency or high number of times. So, I definitely think that’s an area I try to stay – what’s the word?
“Yeah, disciplined isn’t the word I was looking for, but yeah, disciplined to not kind of get out of there. They’re kind of hunting the rush up for me to scramble. So, I’m trying to stay in the pocket and make plays when they come.”
Looking back on his rookie season, Maye admits it’s been tough, but he’s excited about the future. “It’s been a frustrating season, a tough season, a lot to learn from, but I’m excited. I can kind of see where it’s going,” he said.
For now, Maye’s goal is simple: get better every day. And as he takes the field for the final game of the year, he’s ready to give it his all and end on a positive note.
“Looking forward to, like I said, getting one more chance at these guys and ending off on a good note,” Maye said.