New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye had his best performance of the season in the team’s 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills in Week 4.
Maye’s play warranted a “B” as his most productive volume performance of the year also came with more recurring turnovers, albeit in a winning performance against one of the Patriots’ toughest opponents of the year.
Maye completed 22-of-37 passes for 269 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. He made several timely throws to sustain drives and consistently gave New England chances to score, even as Buffalo’s defense brought on difficult looks throughout the game.
On the ground, Maye led the team in rushing with 54 yards on eight carries, including three rushes of 10 or more yards that produced first
downs, and provided an added dimension to the offense. Maye also showed sound awareness in getting Romeo Doubs involved amid his up-and-down start to the year, finding him for two touchdown passes in the game.
Those connections highlighted Maye’s ability to identify favorable matchups and support a teammate in need of more looks as the go-to receiver in the offense.
The turnover total, however, prevents Maye from getting a “B+.” Maye committed three fumbles, one of which the Patriots lost, and threw an interception, which were errors that gave Buffalo extra opportunities and placed added pressure on New England.
The fumbles weigh him down more than anything. Maye’s interception came on a pass thrown to Romeo Doubs at the end of the second quarter. Maye threw a catchable ball that Doubs bobbled, which Bills defender Dee Alford came away with. Doubs did look like he gained possession of the ball despite it coming close to touching the turf and coming out of his grasp, but then he lost control of the ball once he rolled on the ground.
Nevertheless, while the interception was costly and continued a trend of picks thrown by Maye this season, that did not hold more weight than the fumbles that he committed. His play warranted a “B+” had he not committed any fumbles, even with the interception thrown.
Maye is to be credited for making great decisions once the pocket collapsed, consistently stepping through the defense up the middle to make decisive runs or avoid sacks. His impact on the game spoke louder than his turnovers, and was the story of the matchup.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: What grade does QB Drake Maye deserve for his Week 4 performance?
