Drake Maye Continues Mvp Run Other Takeaways From Patriots Week 8 Win

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 16, 2025, 6:31 PM

drake maye continues mvp run other takeaways from patriots week 8 win

Drake Maye was on again Sunday and the Patriots player complementary football in the second half to rout the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium. Dan Roche and Mike Reiss break down the game and give some insight into the vibes in the New England locker room with the team sitting at 6-2 on the season. Metchie just reeled in an 18-yard gain on third down, taking a big hit in the process and holding on. There haven't been many bright moments for the Jets tonight, but Metchie (three catches on three targets, 45 yards, one touchdown) has been one. Nice work from Micheal Clemons to tip Drake Maye's third-down pass. It's still a two-score game, but the Jets have to kick it into gear right now.

Justin Fields mishandled a low snap, trief to pick it up but couldn't, and now New England is already in the red zone. Down 10 with under eight minutes left, the Jets desperately needed a stop, and Brandon Stephens delivered. The veteran cornerback got beat deep by Mack Hollins but stayed with the play and swiped through the ball perfectly just as it appeared Hollins would reel it in. Big play -- and a very good one -- by Stephens, who has had an up-and-down year. It's 24-14 New England. Not the perfect response -- Jermaine Johnson sacking Drake Maye bogged down the drive -- but a pretty good one to restore the lead to two scores.

The Patriots extended their winning streak to eight games in a 27-14 victory over the Jets on Thursday night, a workmanlike performance for New England on a short week. After facing three top-15 defenses in DVOA in his previous three games, QB Drake Maye got a slight reprieve this week against a Jets defense that entered the week 28th in DVOA. New York was struggling defensively already before the trade deadline and then dealt top CB Sauce Gardner and star DT Quinnen Williams at the deadline. Although the level of competition must be noted, Maye was still superb, even while seeing a new blueprint that went against the Jets typical coverage tendencies. Based on my film charting, Maye had his best day since an outstanding performance vs. the Saints in Week 6, which makes sense since he faced the Browns, Falcons, and Bucs defenses over that span.

With 11 plus plays to only 4.5 minuses, Maye's +6.5 net trails only his near-perfect outings against the Saints (+9) and Dolphins (+9) earlier this season. If my eye test doesn't do it for you, Maye's +0.30 expected points added per drop-back was his highest mark since the game in Tennessee, and his fifth-highest of the season – this was... The most improved area of #Patriots QB Drake Maye’s game is his pocket movement. More under control with better ball security (two hands on the ball) to rip through, relocate & keep his eyes downfield. Seeing the drills from practice on the game film.pic.twitter.com/Bsgnecjsvw Maye's poise to extend plays with controlled pocket movement stood out on film, a clear area of improvement from his rookie season to his year-two leap.

Instead of creating his own pressure by drifting in the pocket, Maye is now relocating to stay alive in the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield and keeping two hands on the football for... Effective pocket maneuvering allows Maye to remain a thrower for longer, which adds all sorts of yards to the Patriots offense on a weekly basis. Six years after Tom Brady left, Drake Maye has made it abundantly clear that the New England Patriots again have one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. Maddie Meyer / Getty Images FOXBORO, Mass. — Early in the third quarter, after the latest of Drake Maye’s wild plays that leave one wondering how in the world he pulls them off, the New England Patriots huddled, the ball 11...

Maye tried to yell out the play call from Josh McDaniels, but his teammates in the huddle couldn’t hear him. Offensive linemen had to wave their arms, begging the home crowd to quiet down because the “M-V-P” chants were too loud. Maye, fittingly, then promptly threw a beauty of a touchdown to the back of the end zone on a night when, even if his numbers weren’t off the charts, he showed a national audience... Maye has had better games and played in bigger games, but few have done more to boost and validate his MVP stock, given how he shined during the prime-time showcase of a 27-14 “Thursday... Mike Vrabel praises Stefon Diggs for his impact on the wide receiver room following his first touchdown of the season It wasn't smooth.

They didn't seem totally comfortable. But, in the end, everything worked out. That's how it's gone for the Patriots in 2025. And that's how it went for them on Sunday. Both in the game itself -- where they beat the Browns, 32-13 -- but also in the tunnel for pregame player introductions. The Patriots haven't started a game that way in years.

They made it popular to emerge from the locker room as a team after being introduced in that fashion ahead of their first Super Bowl victory 24 years ago. Subscribe to NBC Sports Boston's podcast network to hear our Insiders bring you the latest insights on your favorite teams! Drake Maye notched a feat previously accomplished only by four all-time great quarterbacks when leading the New England Patriots to a 32-13 win over the Cleveland Browns. Despite getting sacked six times, five by Myles Garrett, Maye maintained his momentum in Week 8. The second-year star completed 18 of 24 passes for 282 yards, three touchdowns and an interception in a statement home win. Maye posted a 135.8 quarterback rating on Sunday, marking his seventh straight game exceeding a 100 quarterback rating and 200 passing yards.

NFL+ noted that Maye is just the fifth quarterback to reach those barometers. The others? Patrick Mahomes, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady. Maye snapped a four-game streak when throwing a pick in the second quarter, but he made amends by posting a perfect passer rating in the second half. The former No. 3 pick completed all eight passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns to put Cleveland away.

Breaking down Patriots quarterback Drake Maye in Week 8 against the Browns. A short trip to the blue medical tent following a scramble in Tennessee led to the buzzword around Patriots quarterback Drake Maye being “sliding” last week. While New England certainly needs their MVP candidate and franchise quarterback healthy, the dual-threat nature of Maye’s game is going to result in him taking hits at times. The issue here, however, was that Maye was passing up open receivers to instead scramble leading to unnecessary hits — something he admitted post game and we broke down in last week’s Maye’s Plays. Returning to Gillette Stadium in Week 8, Maye looked back at home. The 23-year-old continued to stay a step ahead of defensive coverages and worked through full progressions instead of taking off running.

Even when he did use his legs to his advantage, Maye ended a 16-yard run by getting out of bounds and a 28-yard explosive gain with an (awkward) slide. “We’ve got to send him to Spring Training and figure out when to slide, and continue to talk about that,” chirped Mike Vrabel post-game. ©2025 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Drake Maye Continues Mvp Run Other Takeaways From Patriots Week 8 Win

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