Drake Maye was incredible in Week 4 against the Buffalo Bills. He essentially carried the New England Patriots to a 29-26 upset, and he turned the clock back to last year.
In the win, the UNC alum completed 22 of his 37 passes (59.45), and he threw for 269 yards (his most since throwing for 295 yards in the Super Bowl) and three touchdowns. He did lose one fumble and throw an interception (which was maybe 5% his fault -- he technically deserves some blame because, if he throws a better ball, this doesn't happen, but if you play this exact scenario out for the rest of Maye's career, it probably never results in an interception), but he looked great.
Is Maye officially back? We'll see. I've said before that fans shouldn't give up on him based on a tough postseason and early-season slump, and that's especially true for just a one-game sample size. But there's no denying that this was the best he has looked since the end of the last regular season, and the tides could finally be turning.
Drake Maye sent a huge message in Patriots' win against the Bills
Even without A.J. Brown, a still-less-than-stellar running game behind him, and with Mack Hollins leaving the game early due to a calf injury, Maye made a huge statement against Buffalo. He is still New England's quarterback of the future, and his play from last season wasn't a fluke.
Maye looked fantastic right out of the gate. I thought his opening drive was the best he looked all season up to that point.
He led the Patriots to a touchdown drive on their own three-yard line, and he just looked confident. His pocket presence and footwork were the best they have been all season, and he was really slinging it. A lot of it may have been on the playcalling, which allowed Maye to air it out more consistently, but he was also making throws he was missing just a week ago.
It also should be noted that, despite turning the ball over twice, the 24-year-old kept his composure and bounced back. He did a fantastic job of not forcing anything, and it actually looked like a lot of his problems had been sorted out against Buffalo.
Maye also made plays with his legs, and he was New England's leading rusher with 54 yards on eight attempts.
Drake Maye and the Patriots are hoping to build off this momentum
Maye got his mojo and his confidence back, and this performance has to feel good for him.
Week 4 was a must-win for the Patriots, and this was a great opportunity for Maye and the team to bounce back. They were 1-2, looked lifeless in every game leading up to this one, and were without many of their top guys (namely Brown, Mike Onwenu, Christian Gonzalez, and Christian Barmore). If they lost, they were going to be 1-3 and in a very deep hole early in the season.
There was so much pressure on the third-year pro to perform and have his own redemption arc in this game, and that's exactly what he did.
Maye stepped up when the team needed him most. Hopefully for him and the Patriots, this is a sign that he is genuinely turning things around, and maybe that there is some hope for them this season after all.
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