It hasn’t taken long for Drake Maye to earn comparisons with some of the NFL’s best quarterbacks, including All-Pro Josh Allen. In fact, New England Patriots rookie Maye already “looks better” than two-time Buffalo Bills Pro Bowler Allen did during his first year in the league.
That’s according to starting Patriots nose tackle Davon Godchaux. He competed against Allen as a member of the Miami Dolphins back in 2018, the year Allen was drafted seventh overall.
Godchaux called Maye “young Josh Allen 2.0. He looks amazing. I love watching him on the sideline…I tell the guys all the time that he plays like Josh Allen 2.0. I played Josh Allen in Miami his rookie year, and he didn’t look that good, and Josh Allen is a phenomenal player now. MVP-type player. Drake looks better than Josh did his rookie year,” per Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
That’s bold praise for a first-year signal-caller with just four starts to his credit. Maye is yet to win as a starter, but Godchaux isn’t the only one comparing the third player selected in the 2024 NFL draft to Allen.
Drake Maye Already Merits Josh Allen Comparisons
The comparisons to Allen were merited when Maye produced a miracle to tie the game against the Tennessee Titans in Week 9. His off-script, backyard-ball scramble and throw for a touchdown to running back Rhamondre Stevenson had more than one person thinking of Allen.
Among them, MassLive.com’s Chris Mason declared what Maye did as “EXTREMELY Josh Allen-y behavior.”
EXTREMELY Josh Allen-y behavior.
It was an apt description since Allen has made his name ad-libbing big plays, usually by throwing on the run. His dual-threat skills have been a nightmare for the Patriots over the years.
They are also something the Pats haven’t had at football’s most important position in decades. Namely, a truly dangerous runner also blessed with elite arm talent.
Maye is offering exciting glimpses of those particular talents. If he can develop as quickly as Allen, Maye could reverse the Patriots recent inferiority complex against their AFC East rivals.
Patriots Need Special QB Play to End Divisional Woes
Losing to Allen and the Bills has become an unfortunate habit for the Pats. The 2020 second-team All-Pro is 6-5 against the Patriots in the regular season, but that includes going 4-1 in the last five meetings, according to StatMuse.
Allen also owns a playoff victory over the Patriots. The 28-year-old threw five touchdown passes when the Bills walloped the Pats 47-17 in the wild-card round following the 2021 season. It’s the third time Allen and the Bills have dropped 40-plus points on their fallen rivals.
The emergence of Allen has helped the Bills shift the balance of power in the East. They’ve won the division crown the last four years running. Yes, the Patriots still have the comfort of six Super Bowl titles, but the franchise is living off past glory.
Poor quarterback play is the main reason the Patriots have lost touch in the division. Aside from Allen, Tua Tagovailoa raises the bar for the Dolphins when healthy, while Aaron Rodgers might still have enough left to elevate the New York Jets.
There’s been a talent gap at the key position on the field, but Maye can help the Pats close the distance. He’s an x-factor who can save seemingly botched plays and still produce points, like when he “scrambled for 11.82 seconds” to give his receivers a chance against the Titans, per Next Gen Stats.
Drake Maye scrambled for 11.82 seconds before finding Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone for a 5-yard, game-tying touchdown, the 2nd-longest time to throw on a TD pass in the NGS era (since 2016), trailing only Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary from one week ago.
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Recognising Maye’s flair for the big play should prompt head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to call daring plays and make bolder decisions. It can also help the Patriots eventually keep pace with their familiar foes.
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Patriots Starter Says Drake Maye ‘Looks Better’ Than All-Pro Rival