Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark made a bold statement about Drake Maye’s impact on the New England Patriots this season. The second-year quarterback has taken his talents to a new level, leading the Pats to a 9-2 record, including eight consecutive wins for the first time without Tom Brady on the roster.
After a 27-14 win over the Jets on Thursday, Maye confirmed that he is playing at a different level and the Patriots aren’t playing around with their playoff chances. While some have criticized the strength (or lack thereof) of their schedule, others have given the quarterback his flowers.
During Friday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take,” Clark, Mina Kimes, and Dan Orlovsky discussed who deserved more credit for the Patriots’ turnaround this campaign.
Ryan Clark says Drake Maye deserves more credit for Patriots’ turnaround
Clark went with Maye, comparing Maye to Washington Commanders’ Jayden Daniels and all the expectations surrounding him ahead of this season.
Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots
“It’s Drake Maye,” Clark said. “Coming into the season, the question was, ‘Can Drake Maye do enough for what we feel is gonna be a great rushing attack for this offense to compete?’ I said the one thing we’re not talking about enough is the possibility of Drake Maye’s ascension. And the push back to me was, ‘Not this year, because he doesn’t have enough around him.’ When that’s the pushback, and then the team does this, and Drake Maye is in the MVP conversation, leading the MVP conversation, you can’t go, ‘Man, it’s everybody else!'”
In 11 games, Maye has gone 230 of 320 for 2,836 yards and 20 touchdowns against five interceptions. His improvement is clear, as he’s gone from 66.6% completion to 71.9%, an 88.1 passer rating to 113.2, and a 55.2 QBR to 74.1.
The Patriots are one of the best teams in the AFC, and Maye is one of the best players in the league.
