Drake Maye Looks Dazed And Confused Out There

Progress in the NFL is not linear, past success doesn’t guarantee future success, regression to the mean is normal and expected—all of the cliches in the world can’t possibly rationalize whatever the hell is happening to Drake Maye and the New England Patriots so far this season. Currently sitting at 1-2 after Jacksonville laid down a 35-6 “old-fashioned ass whooping,” as Pats safety Kevin Byard III put it, New England is finding life after a division title and a shock Super Bowl run to be, somehow, even harder and more dispiriting that it seemed on paper. Some fall-off was to be expected after a season in which the Pats had the easiest schedule of the century, but what’s become of Drake Maye, who looked like a perennial MVP candidate last season, is downright shocking.

Maye has been absolute ass so far this season. The stats are bad enough—585 yards, one touchdown, a league-leading six interceptions, two fumbles, a QBR of 45.9—to set off the alarms, but Maye is failing the eye test even harder than that. After looking poised both in the pocket and moving the ball with his feet last season, Maye looks jittery and unsure of his throws so far in 2026, leading to mistakes so jarringly poor that it’s becoming easier to write off last year as a fluke than it is to give him grace for a tough schedule and some key injuries.

A.J. Brown going down for multiple weeks with an ankle injury in the season opener hasn’t helped, and Maye didn’t force the front office to give Romeo Doubs $17 million a year to fail to get open on almost every play. Meanwhile, the run game, already not a particular strength last season, has been atrocious this time around, with Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon “Just Asking Questions” Henderson combining for 72 yards a game on 3.9 yards per carry.