New England Patriots - NESN.com
Skeptics can’t dismiss Drake Maye’s MVP chances any longer.
Maye continued his stellar second season by leading the New England Patriots to a 28-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Although he fell short of a 100 quarterback rating for the first time since Week 1, Maye still amassed 270 yards and two passing touchdowns on the road.
The sportsbooks took notice. Maye ascended as the betting favorite to win MVP before the final whistle sounded at Raymond James Stadium.
Maye leapfrogged Patrick Mahomes and Josh Allen to garner +250 odds on FanDuel and +225 on DraftKings.
That recognition came during Maye’s least accurate performance of the season. He entered Sunday with a league-leading 74.1 completion percentage before connecting on 16 of 31 pass attempts at Tampa Bay.
Yet the 23-year-old once again flourished on downfield throws. He hit rookie wide receiver Kyle Williams for a 72-yard touchdown to end the first quarter and found Mack Hollins on a 54-yard strike in the fourth quarter.
Maye has exceeded 200 passing yards in every game this season and thrown at least two touchdowns eight times. A sloppy end-zone interception gave Tampa Bay a late opening, but it didn’t cost New England its seventh straight win.
The Miami Dolphins assisted the Patriots by defeating the Buffalo Bills, and the AFC East upset helped Maye leapfrog Allen in the MVP odds. The Kansas City Chiefs have a Week 10 bye, so Mahomes must wait to make his counterargument.
However, Maye wasn’t the first player to make a strong MVP case on Sunday. Jonathan Taylor led the Indianapolis Colts to an overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Germany with 286 yards and three rushing touchdowns.
The betting market could quickly move again, as Maye and the Patriots play the New York Jets on “Thursday Night Football.”
