The New England Patriots needed Drake Maye to look like himself again in Buffalo. A day after he delivered, the NFL put him up for a weekly award.
The league named Maye among its Week 4 FedEx Air & Ground Players of the Week nominees Monday. The quarterback threw for 269 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s 29-26 win over the Buffalo Bills, then added 54 yards on eight carries. Maye is a nominee; the NFL has not announced this week’s winners.
Maye entered the game with one touchdown pass and six interceptions through three weeks. His three scoring throws against Buffalo matched the Patriots’ need for answers in a game that swung back and forth until the final minutes.
Maye’s Late Touchdown Put Patriots Ahead
Maye’s first touchdown came on the Patriots’ opening possession, a 14-yard pass to Romeo Doubs. The two connected again from 2 yards out in the third quarter to give New England a 21-17 lead.
Buffalo moved back in front in the fourth. After the Bills went up 26-21, Maye led a 73-yard drive and found Efton Chism III for a 23-yard touchdown. Chism reached out with one hand for the catch, and Maye completed a pass to Rhamondre Stevenson for the two-point conversion that set the final score.
Maye finished 22 of 37 passing with one interception, according to the Patriots’ box score. His legs mattered, too. He led New England in rushing yards and gave the offense another way to move the ball when a play broke down.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel had asked his team to respond to a 36-5 loss to Jacksonville throughout the week. Following the Buffalo win, Vrabel pointed to the quarterback’s part in that response.
“Drake went toe-to-toe with him,” Vrabel said of Maye and Bills quarterback Josh Allen, according to the Patriots.
New England improved to 2-2 with the victory.
Maye Joins a Packed Week 4 Award Field
Maye appears in the NFL’s Instagram post alongside CeeDee Lamb and Tetairoa McMillan. Lamb caught 17 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown, while McMillan had 14 catches for 192 yards and two scores. The NFL’s weekly voting pool includes six offensive players.
Fans can vote at the NFL’s FedEx Air & Ground page, where voting is scheduled to close Wednesday at 3 p.m. ET. The league says FedEx will donate $2,000 to Feeding America in honor of each weekly winner.
An award would add to Maye’s week, but the performance itself gave the Patriots something more necessary. In the wake of three difficult games, he produced three touchdown passes on the road against an unbeaten division opponent and made the throw that put New England ahead for good.
Maye sounded pleased with the outcome while leaving room for improvement. “It’s relieving a little bit. But we still have some work left out there,” he said after the game, per the Patriots official site.
His Week 4 nomination reflects how much changed in a single Sunday afternoon.
NFL Announces Award Nomination for Drake Maye’s Performance vs. Bills