The Patriots enter Week 6 looking like a team that has found its footing, and Drake Maye is the biggest reason why. After that ugly 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 3, it was fair to wonder whether New England’s early-season wobble was turning into something worse. Maye had been shaky, had already thrown 7 interceptions, and the whole operation looked out of sync.
That feeling didn’t last long.
Maye has answered with back-to-back standout performances in wins over the Bills and Raiders, and the difference has been obvious. Against Buffalo, he helped deliver a 29-26 upset by completing 22 of 37 passes for 269 yards with 3 TDs and 1 interception while also rushing for 54 yards.
He then turned around and was even sharper in a 45-17 rout of the Raiders, throwing for 374 yards with 4 TDs and no interception, plus a rushing score. In short, the Patriots have gone from looking lost to looking dangerous again.
Still, Mike Vrabel isn’t interested in handing out praise for long. After Maye’s latest strong outing, the head coach made it clear the bar is still higher.
“Today’s not going to matter here in about 10 minutes,” he said, per The Athletic. “We still have a lot to improve and to clean up.
I’m happy but there’s just a lot of things that we have to do to improve.”
New England will get another test from a Jets defense that has been making life uncomfortable for opponents. Aaron Glenn’s group is fourth in the NFL, allowing 293.0 yards per game, and it has the kind of athletic, physical profile that can force an offense to work for everything.
Rookie edge rusher David Bailey has been a big part of that pressure package. The Texas Tech product has 25 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 6 tackles for loss, 1 forced fumble and 1 pass defensed, and the Patriots will need to keep him from getting too close to Maye.
The other side of the matchup brings its own issues. Geno Smith has given the Jets stability at quarterback, and his numbers back that up: 102 completions on 147 attempts for 1,084 yards with 6 touchdowns and no interceptions.
He also has Garrett Wilson giving him a reliable target. Wilson has 31 catches for 374 yards and has accounted for 3 of Smith’s touchdown throws.
That creates a clear challenge for New England, even with Christian Gonzalez waiting in the secondary. The Patriots corner is one of the best cover men in the league, and his job will be to keep Wilson from taking over the game with splash plays.
For the Jets, the formula is straightforward. They need to keep the ball, avoid giving Maye extra chances and get Braelon Allen going. Allen delivered the game-winning score against the Browns with a 22-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter, and if he can pile up 65-70 yards, it would go a long way toward easing the burden on Smith.
New York has come a long way from last year’s 3-14 finish and last-place spot in the AFC East, and the Jets should be competitive here. They also arrive with some confidence after closing out the Browns in tough circumstances in Week 5. But the Patriots have already shown they can recover from a bad stretch, and Maye has the look of a quarterback who’s back in control.
That edge, especially late, is likely to matter in front of the home crowd. The Jets may keep this one tight for most of the afternoon, but New England has the cleaner answer under center right now.
The Jets still have opportunities ahead against the struggling Dolphins and Raiders, and if they can win both, they’d reach .500 heading into November. That would mark real progress for Glenn and Smith, even if this particular week ends with the Patriots still moving forward.
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For Cleveland, the aftermath was as blunt as the scoreboard. Head coach Todd Monken acknowledged the protection breakdowns were unacceptable and said improvement has to come in coaching, in protection and in execution, a familiar list after a night when the Jets made the Browns pay for every missed block and slow read. [Read more 🡒]