Buffalo Bills defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard is preparing his team to face a quarterback on the ropes.
New England Patriots signal-caller Drake Maye narrowly lost out on the league MVP award last season as he led his team on an unlikely Super Bowl run, but both he and the team have struggled this season. Leonhard opened up about Maye’s struggles, saying it is clear he is “going through some stuff” this season.
Bills Prepare to Face Struggling Drake Maye
Speaking to reporters ahead of Buffalo’s game against the Patriots on Sunday, Leonhard noted the decline in Maye’s performance from a red-hot 2025 to now. Maye has seen his completion percentage drop nearly 10 points, falling to 63.8%, while he has just 585 yards and one touchdown versus six interceptions.
Leonhard hinted that there could be something more than just on-the-field struggles for Maye.
“The body of work he put on tape last year in the regular season was obviously MVP level,” Leonhard said. “You’re watching a guy now, you can tell he’s going through some stuff and struggling a bit.”
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel said Maye needs to relax a bit more on the field, comparing it to a rough round of golf.
“I think quarterbacks want to make plays,” Vrabel said, via Mike Reiss of ESPN. “I think they want to throw touchdowns. I think sometimes when Greg and I go golfing, we really want to make a good score, right? Sometimes we’re so focused on it, we try to choke the life out of the golf club, and we’re squeezing it so damn tight that the ball has no choice but to go sideways. We need to stop trying to choke the life out of every single play. We need to relax. We need to settle in and go play football and not try to force things that aren’t there.”
Josh Allen Also Struggled Last Week
Bills quarterback Josh Allen is also coming off one of his worst performances in recent years, a three-turnover game in a 24-16 win over the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen threw two interceptions and lost a fumble, with the Bills also losing fumbles from running back James Cook and tight end Dalton Kincaid.
The Bills managed to eke out a win thanks to a strong defensive effort and timely plays on offense. Allen rushed for two touchdowns, with Cook adding another score on the ground, while backup running back Ty Johnson found an opening to convert a 4th-and-7 play.
“Ty Johnson being the vet that he is,” Allen told reporters after the game, via USA Today’s Bills Wire. “I’ve said this for a long time, you know, he’s got to be the best third down back in the league.”
Allen scrambled and got the ball out just in time on the play, but said it was Johnson who found a soft spot in the defense.
“Just being smart enough to just come open for me and found a way to catch a football there on fourth down and, you know, let us convert,” Allen said.
Bills Coach Drops Hint About Drake Maye ‘Going Through Some Stuff’