EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — The chants got louder as Drake Maye jogged off the field after another terrific performance and neared the visitors’ tunnel leading to the New England Patriots’ locker room.
“MVP! MVP! MVP!” a large group of fired-up fans shouted as they serenaded their second-year quarterback, who again made a strong case Sunday that he might be exactly that this season.
Maye threw a career-high five touchdown passes in less than three quarters as the Patriots dominated the New York Jets 42-10 to improve to 13-3, including 8-0 on the road, and move closer to winning the AFC East title for the first time since 2019.
“They don’t give me a vote,” coach Mike Vrabel said, “but there is nobody else we want as our quarterback or that I want as our quarterback.”
Maye made it look easy against the Jets, leading the Patriots on touchdown drives on each of their first six possessions.
He was 19 of 21 for 256 yards and a 157.0 quarterback rating with TD tosses to Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs, Austin Hooper, Hunter Henry and Efton Chism III before being lifted for Joshua Dobbs with 5:31 left in the third quarter. Maye became the first player in NFL history to complete 90% of his passes while throwing for 250 or more yards and five TDs in a single game.
“Guys getting open, guys running the right routes,” said Maye, who got the game ball in the postgame locker room but humbly attributed his success to his teammates. “The guys up front blocking their butts off to give me time to make plays and extend plays and find guys down the field.”
The 24-year-old Maye has been capitalizing on those opportunities all season in what has been a breakout year that followed a promising rookie campaign.
He has already been selected to the Pro Bowl Games twice since being drafted with the No. 3 overall pick last year out of North Carolina.
“We want to get the ball in his hands as much as we can,” safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. “He makes it happen. He’s out there just doing what he does, having fun. He’s confident, he’s playing with swag.”
Maye also joined Tom Brady (11 times) and Drew Bledsoe (twice) as the only New England quarterbacks to reach 4,000 yards passing in a season. Maye has 4,203 through 16 games, along with 30 TD passes and just eight interceptions.
“Whatever it takes to win,” he said. “That’s the most important thing. The only thing I care about is our won-loss record. We still have work to do and some games ahead that should be fun.”
Maye made his NFL debut last year at MetLife Stadium last year in Week 3, when he replaced Jacoby Brissett in the Patriots’ 24-3 loss to the Jets. He went 4 of 8 for 22 yards in mop-up action, but made his first NFL start three weeks later.
“It’s pretty funny looking back,” Maye said. “The stadium was pumped for that Thursday night game and it’s kind of a full-circle moment just of how far we’ve come and kind of the flip side of things — this year compared to last and how much fun we’re having out there.”
The Patriots have bounced back from consecutive 4-13 finishes to return the franchise to its winning ways in Vrabel’s first year as coach. Maye has thrived along the way, establishing himself as one of the NFL’s best playmaking quarterbacks — and perhaps the league’s most valuable player.
“He goes out there and shows it every week,” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “I think that’s something he’s earned. Him and this team are focused on winning games. If it happens to be him, then it is.”
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford would appear to be Maye’s biggest competition for the award, voted on by a panel selected by The Associated Press. Fellow quarterbacks Josh Allen of Buffalo, Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence and the Los Angeles Chargers’ Justin Herbert are also considered contenders.
But the Patriots are backing their guy, of course.
And so are the fans, who shower Maye with those “MVP! MVP!” chants — whether they’re at home or on the road.
“He goes in there with a mindset,” Stevenson said. “Wednesday is our first day of practice. He kind of wants to win the game on Wednesday and throughout the week until he gets to Sunday. That’s a big thing for him and the team, putting our best foot forward in practice and reaping the rewards on Sunday.”
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