Through three games, it wouldn't have been a stretch to call Drake Maye the NFL's worst-performing quarterback. Or, at the very least, the worst quarterback at the helm of a team with Super Bowl expectations like the New England Patriots. Sure, let's go with that. Maye had seven turnovers (six picks, one fumble), a passer rating of just 58.6, and he looked otherwise rudderless at the helm of an underwhelming Patriots offensive supporting cast that relies on him to do so much on every possession.
Maye was so bad, in fact, that some wondered whether the Patriots quarterback might have gotten the "yips" after getting manhandled in New England's humbling loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl 60.
Sunday's road matchup against the AFC East rival
Buffalo Bills was an opportunity for Maye to start rebuilding his reputation. He didn't waste it. The third-year quarterback was masterful against a Super Bowl contender, completing 22-of-37 passes for 269 yards and three touchdowns, including the game-winner to Efton Chism III in the last two minutes of the game. For once, Maye didn't look rattled. For once, Maye looked like the quarterback everyone saw in 2025.
Unsurprisingly, Maye also felt a lot better about his performance during his postgame press conference. Maye described his game against the Bills as "relieving" while beaming with positivity. That's definitely a welcome sign for the Patriots and their fans:
Drake Maye describes today as “relieving” and his smile tells the story. pic.twitter.com/CWCpcQhnGn
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) October 4, 2026
There's a long way to go for Maye this season. One game will not fix his recent stretch of poor play. He has to stay consistent. But if he builds on Sunday's win over a division rival, the Patriots may likely get right back on track as the AFC contender they believed themselves to be entering the season.
This article originally appeared on For The Win: Drake Maye used just 1 telling word to describe his first good game of 2026
