ClutchPoints
The New England Patriots have gone from an undisciplined and undermanned operation to a Super Bowl contender in less than a year. The Mike Vrabel effect, an aggressive offseason and a highly favorable schedule have all helped the franchise rapidly ascend to the top of the AFC standings, but Drake Maye is deservedly the face of this dramatic turnaround.
The second-year quarterback enjoyed another impressive outing in Thursday’s 27-14 win over the New York Jets, drawing MVP chants from the home crowd inside Gillette Stadium. He stayed humble, however, choosing to highlight Pats X-factor and rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson.
“{The chants} may have been for TreVeyon tonight,” Maye told reporters after New England’s eighth consecutive victory, per Mike Kadlick of Sports Illustrated and Patriots on CLNS.
Henderson registered 19 carries for 62 yards and two touchdowns and also added 31 yards and a score through the air, building on his monster/breakout outing against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former Ohio State star posted a stellar five-day stretch and should now firmly be positioned to serve RB1 duties for the remainder of the season. Although he was inefficient on the ground, Henderson was splendid in the red zone.
The 23-year-old’s explosiveness and versatility is incredibly valuable to the Patriots’ offense, and if he can stay hot during the second half of the campaign, this squad will have an excellent shot at clinching the No. 1 seed in the conference. And TreVeyon Henderson’s best chance at staying hot is if Drake Maye can maintain his MVP-caliber form.
The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft completed 25-of-34 passes for 281 yards and one touchdown against the Jets. The offensive line did a nice job of protecting him (only one sack), and Maye took care of the rest. The 6-foot-4 signal-caller continues to spread the ball around and is developing quite the chemistry with veteran Stefon Diggs. He boasts terrific arm talent and has poise beyond his 23 years of age, pushing the Pats closer to their first AFC East crown since 2019-20.
A Maye MVP win would be monumental, but more than that, No. 10 is focused on leading a harmonious team all the way to the NFL stratosphere. The dynamic QB-RB duo will bring the show on the road when New England (9-2) faces the defensively-frail Cincinnati Bengals (3-6) next Sunday afternoon.
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