The New England Patriots are too proud and successful of a franchise to be in the business of moral victories.
However, in yet another sign of the current times in New England, it’s hard not to feel somewhat good after Sunday’s 20-13 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The reason: rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who authored a resilient, impressive performance in the losing effort. Maye committed three turnovers, including a game-ending interception, but also threw for 206 yards and a touchdown while adding eight carries for 95 yards.
After the game, one player went so far as to compare Maye to one of the NFL‘s best players.
Davon Godchaux Compares Drake Maye to Josh Allen
Davon Godchaux, like all Patriots fans, was blown away by Maye’s miraculous last-second touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson
Maye scrambled for 11.82 seconds — the second-longest pre-TD scramble since 2016, per NextGen Stats — before finding Stevenson for a touchdown that pulled the Patriots to within one point.
DRAKE MAYE MAGICCCCCCCCC!!!!!!!!!
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/UvIB3dRi8k
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 3, 2024
Jerod Mayo then opted against a game-winning two-point try in favor of a game-tying kick. The Patriots allowed the Titans to score a TD on the opening drive of overtime, and Maye threw an interception on the ensuing possession. It was a deflating end to an otherwise encouraging showing from the third-overall pick.
“Man, that’s young Josh Allen 2.0,” Godchaux told reporters afterward, per Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
Godchaux then doubled down on the Maye-Allen comparison. In fact, the veteran nose tackle believes Maye looks better than Allen did as a rookie — which isn’t a bold statement, as Allen was terrible his first season.
“He looks amazing,” Godchaux said. “Sure, he had some plays that I’ll let Drake speak to that he’d like to have back, but man, I love watching him on the sideline. I tell the guys all the time he looks like Josh Allen 2.0, and I played Josh Allen in Miami his rookie year, and he didn’t look that good.
“And Josh Allen is a phenomenal player. He’s an MVP-type player, Madden cover, he deserves everything. He’s a great player, but he didn’t look like that his rookie year. Drake looks better than Josh his rookie year. I’ll let Drake speak more on that, but man … he looks amazing, especially when he runs the ball. I didn’t know the kid had burners like that. I’m excited to play with him and watch him the next couple years.”
Drake takes it for a first down 🏃♂️@DrakeMaye2 | #NEPats
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/VSUwohhSga
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 3, 2024
Godchaux believes Maye could help the Patriots once again become a destination for free agents.
“Everybody wants to [play with] Josh Allen, everybody wants to play with Pat Mahomes,” Godchaux said. “Soon, before you know it, people will want to play with Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, Caleb Williams. … That kid can play. He shows a lot of heart. I’m screaming on the sidelines, ‘Man, get down,’ but he keeps taking hits.”
Time will tell whether Maye becomes half the player that Allen is. But he has the size, athleticism, and raw arm strength to become one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks.
Will the Patriots support him with adequate coaches and offensive personnel? That remains a big question.
Other Patriots Laud Maye After Impressive Performance
Let’s look at what Mayo and a handful of Patriots players said about Maye’s performance.
Christian Gonzalez: “That’s Drake. Nobody was surprised, honestly. Drake does stuff like that all the time. He fought and did all he could. I’m proud of him, happy for him.”
Kendrick Bourne: “Drake is just phenomenal. He keeps showing it week in, week out, and I’m just proud of him. We’ve got to keep being behind him — help blocking for him, catching the ball, running good routes — so that we can get the full potential out of him.
“But when you’ve got somebody like that, it encourages you to go harder, and that’s what we want as a unit: for everybody to give their best foot because clearly he is. … He has the aura to him. You just know he’s going to go out there and do his thing.”
Hunter Henry: “The guy’s special, man. Just the way he competes, the way he plays, the way he continues to fight. I’m excited to continue to go out there and play with him. He’s very special, got a lot of talent.”
Mayo: “[I saw] mental toughness and the ability to make plays with his legs, which he has shown before. He gave us a chance to win the game.”
What PFN’s Metrics Say About Maye’s First Few Starts
For as impressive as Maye was in his first four starts, he also displayed the same poor footwork, occasional inaccuracy, and risky decision-making that made him a polarizing prospect. The good has outweighed the bad, but he has a lot to clean up.
Maye’s penchant for turnovers (six on the season) has led to relatively underwhelming Pro Football Network QB+ Metric grades.
At the time of this writing, Maye’s Week 7 (B-) ranked as the 82st-best single-game PFN QB+ grade. His Week 6 (C+) ranked 155th, and his Week 9 (C-) ranked 211th. His Week 8 start against the New York Jets didn’t qualify, as he was removed from the game in the second quarter after suffering a concussion. For the season, Maye currently ranks 22nd among all quarterbacks with a C- (48.5).
As for box-score stats, Maye posted a 65.6% completion percentage, 770 yards, six TDs, four interceptions, two fumbles, 13 sacks, 209 rushing yards, and one rushing TD in his first five games, including his Week 3 cameo and injury-shortened Week 8 start.
Those are solid numbers for a 22-year-old rookie. In fact, according to X account Bostonsportsinf, Maye is the first QB in NFL history in their first four starts to post at least 700 passing yards, six passing TDs, 200 rushing yards, one rushing TD, and a 60.0 completion percentage.
Drake Maye
Is the first QB, in their first 4 career starts, with…
Passing yards ≥ 700
Cmp% ≥ 60.0%
Passing TD’s ≥ 6
Rushing yards ≥ 200
Rushing TD ≥ 1So there’s that pic.twitter.com/W5HtwX7BgI
— Boston Sports Info (@bostonsportsinf) November 3, 2024
Of course, it’s not just about the numbers. There’s also the eye test, which shows Maye is an elite talent with the poise, moxie, and work ethic to smooth out his flaws over time.
Maye and the Patriots will look to get back in the win column when they visit the Chicago Bears next Sunday. If Maye outperforms fellow rookie QB Williams, the hype train might go off the rails.