It was almost difficult, over the course of the Patriots convincing 31-13 win over the Titans in Tennessee in Week 7, to recall exactly when quarterback Drake Maye threw a pass that was not completed. You’d be forgiven for not coming up with an answer–at one point, Maye completed 16 straight passes and finished with 21 completions on 23 attempts.
He had 222 yards passing, and two touchdowns. Maye also ran for 62 yards. He looked every bit the star quarterback he’s been more and more showing himself to be as this season has progressed.
But 21-for-23 is a remarkable pair of numbers. In fact, it turns out, it’s a 91.3% completion rate, which is a team record for players who have thrown more than 20 passes in a game. Yes, that’s something even Tom Brady did not do, and Maye tied a Brady team record, to boot.
Patriots See Drake Maye Tie Tom Brady
The passing accuracy mark is impressive, but the Patriots’ team account also added this via Twitter/X:
“@Patriots QB Drake Maye has tied Tom Brady (2007) for the most games in team history of at least 200 passing yards, a 135 passer rating and 2 passing touchdowns in a season with four.”
Of course, that was the undefeated regular season for the Patriots, in which the team had Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Maye has Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte. He also has 10 more games to surpass Brady.
Maye thinks he has more in the tank.
“I left some out there that I ended up running that I could have thrown. I think I tucked it a couple of times when I shouldn’t have,” he said. “I think I need to get to the back side of the progression more. I think I am trying be careful with the football and trying to challenge it down the field and not just be a Checkdown Charlie. So, just trying to throw it to the guys that are open and they’re making plays.”
Drake Maye: ‘Guys Making Plays for Me’
It helped, too, that his receivers made some eye-opening catches. One came on the first touchdown to tight end Austin Hooper, in which he had to reach over star cornerback L’Karius Snead and essentially make the catch over his head. He also hit Boutte for a 39-yard touchdown late in the first half that was a perfectly placed ball, but still required Boutte to make an outstretched fingertip catch on the back end of the ball.
Pop Douglas also saved the day on a fourth-down-and-one play from the Titans’ 9-yard line, reaching well behind him on a bad throw from Maye to snatch the ball and secure a four-yard first-down completion that set up a touchdown.
“Those guys are making plays for me,” Maye said. “Those guys up front are blocking their butts off, the passing game, they’re making plays for me. We’re just trying to stay ahead of the chains, and try to throw to the first guy open.”
Patriots Benefit From Accuracy
That’s been a key for Maye, too, something Mike Vrabel and OC Josh McDaniels has been preaching: Just throw to the open guy, don’t focus on any one weapon. Maye hit seven receivers on Sunday.
“I think there’s an athleticism to him that’s really, really cool,” Vrabel said. “I think he’s really accurate from all different spots, whether it is in the pocket or off-platform. He has done a really nice job spreading the football around. There is an accuracy to him that has been really good for him.”
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