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Drake Maye’s Rise Puts Patriots One Win From AFC East Crown Against Bills

A top-tier passing season under Josh McDaniels and fresh praise from Tom Brady have positioned the second-year quarterback as a leading MVP candidate heading into Sunday.

Overview

  • New England is 11-2 on a 10-game win streak and can clinch its first division title since 2019 with a home win over Buffalo on Dec. 14.
  • Maye leads qualifiers in completion rate (71.5%) and ranks near the top in passer rating (111.9), yards (3,412) and touchdowns (23), and he could join an elite group with an 11th straight win with 200-plus passing yards.
  • McDaniels lauded Maye’s late-season growth and said the quarterback “deserves all the credit,” as the offense has climbed to No. 2 in passing (249.7 ypg) and No. 8 in scoring (27.0 ppg).
  • Tom Brady highlighted Maye’s downfield accuracy and work ethic and credited McDaniels’ system and teaching for accelerating the young passer’s development.
  • Bills quarterback Josh Allen described a friendly rapport with Maye through shared representation at CAA and offered compliments on his play, while coaching-market chatter has surfaced around Patriots assistant Thomas Brown as McDaniels signals he wants to keep building in New England.