Drake Maye ‘as clean as it gets’ in Patriots win over Raiders – NBC Boston

After a rocky start to the 2026 season, Drake Maye is looking more like his MVP-caliber self.

The New England Patriots’ third-year quarterback snapped out of his funk with three touchdown passes in the team’s Week 4 win over the Buffalo Bills to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors. He was even better in Sunday’s Week 5 clash with the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.

Maye completed 26 of his 34 passes for 374 yards and four passing TDs in the Pats’ 45-17 rout of the Raiders. He also rushed for a TD, giving him eight total touchdowns in his last two games after scoring only one in his first three games this season.

Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran react to the Patriots’ 45-17 win

Tom E. Curran and Phil Perry break down the Patriots’ DOMINANT win over the Las Vegas Raiders

“That’s about as clean as it gets from the quarterback,” NBC Sports Boston’s Phil Perry said on Patriots Postgame Live. “And I thought that trickled down to the rest of the operation as well. … Barring the penalty flags that seemed to rain down on just about every other play on both teams, when you look at the quarterback and his willingness to push it down the field — we said it before the game, he was going to remain aggressive. That’s who he is. He knows that’s just how he’s wired.

“Even with a big lead, he’s pushing it down the field and incredibly accurate. This is probably the closest we’ve seen to Drake Maye from 2025 here in 2026.”

Maye avoided turning the ball over despite taking plenty of risks downfield. One of his biggest plays of the day was a 50-yard deep ball to Kyle Williams:

He also found Williams for a 34-yard TD pass earlier in the game:

Maye was stunningly accurate throughout the game. His 31-yard toss to Eli Raridon was perhaps his prettiest throw of all:

“I think that throw to Eli Raridon kind of summed it up for me,” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran said. “Unbelievably confident throw. Feet set, a laser. That removes any conversation at all, to me, if it hadn’t already been removed, about any concerns about his shoulder.”

As big a win it was for the Patriots in Buffalo, Curran believes this one might mean more for Maye and Co.

“There were still stops and starts to what Maye was able to do last week. The ball-handling issues, the fumble in the pocket,” Curran added. “But this, to me, shows the level of confidence and fundamental skill that he shows, and the aggressiveness.

“I think confidence was built last week. They still had to show their resilience because of the number of players out and the number of players that went down. This is a team with an identity forming before our very eyes.”

Injuries were an issue for New England entering Week 5, and they continued to mount during Sunday’s game. Cornerback Charles Woods (shoulder), left tackle Will Campbell (knee), running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle), and edge rusher Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) each exited due to injury and did not return. Wide receiver Mack Hollins (calf) and fullback Reggie Gilliam (knee) were placed on injured reserve earlier in the day, while CBs Christian Gonzalez (shoulder), Carlton Davis III (neck), and Channing Canada (hamstring), and Karon Prunty (hamstring) were each inactive.

Depth will certainly be a concern if injuries continue to keep key players sidelined. But if Maye keeps this up, and A.J. Brown returns from his injury in the next week or two, it’ll be tough for opponents to keep up with this Patriots offense.

Next, the 3-2 Pats will welcome the 2-3 New York Jets to Gillette Stadium for a Week 6 showdown. Kickoff for that matchup is set for 1 p.m. ET.

Watch Perry, Curran, and our Postgame Live crew’s full reaction to the Patriots’ win below: