FOXBOROUGH – Drake Maye’s mission Sunday against the Miami Dolphins was pretty straight forward.
Beat the Fins, and at the very least, secure the AFC’s No. 2 seed.
Mission was accomplished. At the very least, the Patriots locked up the No. 2 seed.
The Patriots quarterback also left a convincing final impression for MVP voters.
For quite some time, it’s pretty much been a two-man race between Maye and LA Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.
Maye did nothing to diminish his chances for the award. He was the betting favorite heading in, and he further stated his case.
While Stafford (46 TD passes, 8 picks) is certainly a worthy candidate, and had a terrific game with the Rams beating Arizona, Maye has done more with less all year. And, he’s led a division champ, and the AFC East’s No. 2 seed with a 14-3 record.
Stafford’s Rams (12-6) did not win their division. They didn’t hit 14 wins. He also didn’t turn a non-playoff team into a contender.
Maye was instrumental changing the fortunes of a four-win team in 2024. Against the Dolphins, he did what he’s done all year – whatever was necessary to get the win.
He played three quarters-plus in the 38-10 win. Fans at Gillette constantly chanted “MVP! MVP! MVP!” for the quarterback throughout the game.
He finished 14 of 18 for 191 yards with a touchdown. He rushed four times for 33 yards. And, he didn’t turn the ball over.
With that, Maye completed the regular season with a stunning 72.0% completion percentage overall and became the first quarterback in NFL history to complete at least 71% of his passes and average 8.9 yards per attempt.
Those numbers are staggering for a second-year player.
His 31 TD passes with just 8 picks and 4,203 passing yards is more than MVP worthy. Voters might favor Stafford because he’s never won the award, and consider it a lifetime achievement honor.
Again, he’s worthy. All things considered, Maye deserves to win.
In the opening half, Maye led the Patriots on scoring drives the first two possessions. The backs – Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson – did most of the heavy lifting.
But with the Dolphins putting up a fight, Maye couldn’t put his feet up. He was asked to do a little more.
After the Dolphins drew to within 14-10, the Patriots took over on their 32 with 28 seconds to go before the half.
Maye hit Kayshon Boutte with a 13-yard pass, then added on 14 more with a quarterback keeper to set up Andy Borregales for a 59-field goal before the half.
Maye went 7 for 11 for 84 yards in the opening half. He also gained 27 yards on three rushes.
His first drive of the third quarter, Maye tossed a 15-yard touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson and the rout as on.