Drake Maye Faces MVP-Level Test in Baltimore as Patriots' Season Enters Final Stretch
As the Patriots head to Baltimore this weekend, all eyes are on rookie quarterback Drake Maye - and for good reason. With just three games left in the regular season, Maye isn’t just holding his own.
He’s leading Pro Bowl voting and sitting near the top of the MVP race. That’s rarefied air for any player, let alone a 23-year-old in his first NFL season.
Maye will be squaring off against one of the few players in league history to win MVP honors by the age of 24 - a group that includes names like Jim Brown, Earl Campbell, Dan Marino, Walter Payton, Emmitt Smith, Patrick Mahomes, and Lamar Jackson. That’s not just elite company; that’s a who’s who of game-changers across generations.
Right now, sportsbooks have Maye with the second-best odds to win the MVP, trailing only Matthew Stafford in Los Angeles. That’s a slight dip from last week, when Maye briefly held the top spot before the Patriots’ loss to Buffalo. Still, the fact that he’s even in this conversation - with three weeks to go - says a lot about the season he’s having.
This Sunday’s matchup is more than just another game on the schedule. It’s a litmus test.
Baltimore’s defense has been one of the stingiest in the league, and with a playoff atmosphere already setting in, Maye will need to show the poise and precision that’s carried him this far. He’s already proven he can make the throws.
Now, it’s about doing it under pressure, on the road, against a team that knows how to win in December.
For New England, this is a moment of clarity. The future of the franchise is under center, and he’s not blinking. Whether or not Maye walks away with the MVP trophy, his performance down the stretch could define the next chapter of Patriots football.
And if he can outduel a former MVP in his own building? That would be one heck of a statement.