ClutchPoints
If you couldn’t believe the New England Patriots were the “real deal” this NFL season, their dominant Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns should be every indication that the 6-2 franchise means business once again. They managed to hang 32 points on one of the NFL’s best defensive units as quarterback Drake Maye led the way with three touchdowns. Despite a historic day from Browns’ DE Myles Garrett, Maye and the Patriots flourished once again behind the leadership of first-year coach Mike Vrabel.
Thanks to the performance, Drake Maye has officially moved himself into the MVP conversation, a bold prediction from earlier in the season finally coming to fruition as the young starter grows before our eyes. Hearing “MVP” chants from the New England crowd at the conclusion of their Week 8 win, Drake Maye could be the favorite to win the award if he can keep this pace for the rest of the season.
Prior to his Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns, sportsbooks were billing Drake Maye with the fourth-best odds (+850) to win MVP behind names like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield. Following his 282 passing yards, 75% completion percentage, and three touchdowns, Maye moves into third place at +500, trailing only Bills’ Josh Allen and Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
While Mahomes and Allen, both in their prime, will be tough to overcome given their statuses, Drake Maye currently ranks fourth league-wide in passing yards (2,026) and QBR (76.2). We also can’t forget that he has the fourth-most rushing yards among quarterbacks (250) and has rushed for two touchdowns this year. He’s accounted for 17 of the Patriots’ 22 total touchdowns this season, making him undeniably valuable to his team.
We also can’t discredit the fact that Drake Maye has his team atop the AFC East division at 6-2, currently leading Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. While we’ve seen this division flip in Buffalo’s favor over the last few years, New England could be returning to their dominant form sooner after the Belichick era that many had anticipated. This must also be credited to the new culture instilled by Mike Vrabel.
Myles Garrett gets the sack off the edge for most sacks in the NFL for a player under 30 pic.twitter.com/ezCLDlZct9
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 26, 2025
Myles Garrett had 5 sacks today — but becomes the first player in NFL history to do that and lose by more than 3 points.
Cleveland lost by 19.pic.twitter.com/HploFDzym7 https://t.co/RJopNdZ0ah
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) October 26, 2025
Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett had a historic game against the Patriots in his own right. Breaking his own personal record for sacks in a game and the Browns’ franchise record (set by himself), Garrett became just the ninth player to record 5.0 sacks in a single game since they became a stat in 1982. However,...
