In his brief NFL career to date, Drake Maye has been compared to plenty of quarterbacks, from Josh Allen to Justin Herbert to, yes, Tom Brady.
Joe Buck is adding another name to that list, and it’s a bit surprising at first glance.
The ESPN play-by-play announcer, who will be calling Sunday afternoon’s AFC Divisional Round clash between the New England Patriots and Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium, joined our Patriots Insider Phil Perry on the Next Pats Podcast and admitted he got Peyton Manning vibes from Maye during a recent production call with the young QB.
“When he was on our (video) production call, he hung up, and I was like, ‘Something about him reminds me of Manning,'” Buck told Perry. “… Just his demeanor to be a 23-year-old just kind of blew me away.”
Maye and Manning have very different play styles; Manning was a pure pocket passer who methodically picked apart defenses, while Maye is more of a gunslinger who can make plays with his legs. But Buck was more referring to Maye’s personality, and the innate confidence he carries as the youngest of four boys in a family of athletes.
“I think it’s a maturity at a young age,” Buck said. “Obviously they both come from incredible sports families. Peyton with his younger brother Eli, who will likely end up in the Hall of Fame, and his dad Archie Manning and everything that family has brought to the National Football League. And then you’ve got Drake Maye with his brothers and his dad.”
“There’s just something about him,” Buck added of Maye. “Obviously, it’s not the on-field play style, but there’s a maturity there at 23 years old that you just hang up and you go, ‘Man, that young man is different.'”
Maye played like a legitimate MVP candidate this season, leading the NFL in completion percentage (72 percent), yards per attempt (8.9) and passer rating (113.5) while guiding the Patriots to a 14-3 record. If you ask Buck, part of Maye’s on-field success stems from that maturity, which manifests itself in strong decision-making.
“There’s a mature-beyond-his-years factor with Drake Maye that I think is evident when you talk to him, and I think it’s evident with the way he plays on the field,” Buck said. “He limits turnovers. He doesn’t panic. He takes off at the right time. His eyes are downfield, but it’s if it’s not there, he doesn’t force it.”
Maye’s steady demeanor will be put to the test this Sunday, as the Patriots face a ferocious Texans defense that allowed the fewest points in the league this season while ranking third in takeaways (29). Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. ET on Sunday with Buck and Troy Aikman on the call.
Also in this episode:
- Joe Buck on his relationship with New England sports fans.
- Buck’s Patriots-Texans preview
- Players to keep an eye on during the College Football Championship Game.
