New England Patriots - NESN.com
Drake Maye and the New England Patriots are officially on everyone’s radar as Super Bowl contenders, if they weren’t already. The Pats are now 5-0 on the road this season and 8-2 overall (tied for the NFL’s best record) after a huge road win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
In the moments after the final whistle, Maye answered questions from CBS’ Tracy Wolfson on the field at Raymond James Stadium. Maye praised New England’s two rookies who made big plays on Sunday, Kyle Williams and TreVeyon Henderson. Williams pulled off a 72-yard touchdown reception (the first of his career), whereas Henderson went for two massive runs of 55 yards and 69 yards, finishing the day with 147 yards and two TDs on 14 carries.
The future is bright in New England, but Maye isn’t getting ahead of himself. When asked by Wolfson if he had noticed that the Buffalo Bills had lost in Week 10, Maye replied in a way that revealed his process-oriented approach.
“We’re not worried about Buffalo; we’re worried about Thursday night (against the New York Jets),” Maye replied. “We got a big one.”
The Jets are 2-7 and have looked like one of the NFL’s worst teams this season. However, they are coming off a win over the Cleveland Browns in Week 10 and would absolutely love to spoil the Patriots’ momentum during a Thursday Night Football trap game for New England.
Even if Maye isn’t worried too much about the Bills (and that’s a good thing), fans and analysts are sure taking note of the updated AFC East standings after Buffalo’s loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.
The Patriots are in the driver’s seat in the division, but there is still a ton of football left to play. Here’s what New England’s remaining regular season schedule looks like:
Nov. 13 vs. Jets
Nov. 23 @ Bengals
Dec. 1 vs. Giants
Dec. 14 vs. Bills
Dec. 21 @ Ravens
Dec. 28 @ Jets
Week 18 vs. Dolphins (Date/Time TBD)
It’s not exactly a gauntlet of a slate, but dates with the Bills and Ravens stand out. Maye is wise to take things one week at a time, because if the Patriots take their foot off the gas pedal even for one week, any of the above games could turn into losses. Away games at Cincinnati and New York will prove the age-old adage that it’s difficult to win on the road against anyone in the NFL.
The Patriots are also dealing with a new challenge — there’s a target on their back, and every team will be circling New England on their calendar. That’s what comes with being one of the best teams in the NFL.
Pats fans didn’t expect to be saying that so soon, but here we are, and it’s definitely nothing to complain about.
