Drake Maye notched a feat previously accomplished only by four all-time great quarterbacks when leading the New England Patriots to a 32-13 win over the Cleveland Browns.
Despite getting sacked six times, five by Myles Garrett, Maye maintained his momentum in Week 8. The second-year star completed 18 of 24 passes for 282 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a statement home win.
Maye posted a 135.8 quarterback rating on Sunday, marking his seventh straight game exceeding a 100 quarterback rating and 200 passing yards.
NFL+ noted that Maye is just the fifth quarterback to reach those barometers. The others? Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady.
Maye snapped a four-game streak when throwing a pick in the second quarter, but he made amends by posting a perfect passer rating in the second half. The former No. 3 pick completed all eight passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns to put Cleveland away.
Story continues below advertisement
The 23-year-old also continued to dominate on downfield throws, connecting with four different players on a play of over 20 yards. Patriots fans serenaded him with “MVP” chants as he found Kayshon Boutte for a 39-yard touchdown late in the game.
Manning (2004), Brady (2007), Rodgers (2011 and 2020) and Mahomes (2018) all won MVP when producing at least 200 passing yards and a 100 quarterback rating seven straight times. Will Maye continue that trend and follow those future Hall of Famers to glory?
Maye at least deserves to be taken seriously as a leading midseason MVP contender during this torrid stretch. He’s up to 9.0 yards per pass attempt this season with a 75.2 percent completion rate.
Story continues below advertisement
Maye will lead the 6-2 Patriots into a Week 9 game against the Atlanta Falcons.
