Josh Allen’s message to Drake Maye came with the confidence of a rival who has seen enough to believe the current slide won’t last.
The Buffalo Bills quarterback backed Maye on Sept. 30, days before the New England Patriots visit Highmark Stadium for an AFC East matchup.
“Drake’s a smart kid, extremely talented. He’s gonna figure it out,” Allen told reporters, according Alex Brasky. “He’s got the work ethic. I got a lot of respect for him and what he’s been able to do in his early career. He’ll find a way out of it.”
Maye leads the NFL with 6 interceptions
The final line cuts to the heart of New England’s first three games. Maye is trying to find his way out of the sharpest downturn of his young career, and the next defense waiting for him belongs to a 3-0 division rival.
Bills QB Backs Maye as Turnovers Mount
Maye enters Week 4 with an NFL-high six interceptions. He has completed 51 of 80 passes for 585 yards and one touchdown, producing a 58.6 passer rating through three starts, via his official Patriots player page.
The numbers are a jolt after his 2025 rise. Maye threw for 4,394 yards, 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions last season, steering the Patriots to a 14-3 record and a Super Bowl appearance. His second-team All-Pro season ended with him finishing second in MVP voting.
Three games into the follow-up, the composure and clean decision-making that helped fuel that run have gone missing. Maye threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in New England’s 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sept. 27. He completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards as the Patriots fell to 1-2.
Maye didn’t sidestep his role afterward.
“I gotta look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point,” Maye said during his postgame press conference. “It’s Week 3, and at the same time we gotta get some fuel and realize that what we’re doing out there offensively is unacceptable.”
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel agreed that the offense has made poor decisions with the ball and said the team has to correct them. Allen’s assessment brought in a different voice from across the division. He sees Maye’s intelligence, talent and work habits as reasons the stumble will prove temporary.
Patriots QB Faces Demanding Test Against Undefeated Bills
Allen can appreciate how quickly a young quarterback’s mistakes become the story.
He threw 21 interceptions over his first 28 NFL starts before developing into one of the league’s defining players at the position.
His support hits right because of the opponent.
The Bills have opened the season with three victories, while the Patriots arrive in Buffalo following their most lopsided defeat under Vrabel.
Buffalo also sits at the center of Maye’s recent troubles. He engineered a 23-20 road victory over the Bills in October 2025, completing 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards and leading the winning drive. Buffalo answered later in the season by rallying from a 17-point deficit to win 35-31 in Foxborough.
Maye has since endured a difficult stretch that includes New England’s Super Bowl loss and its tricky opening to 2026. Sunday gives him a chance to answer against the team he helped beat during his MVP-caliber surge.
There was no condescension in Allen’s words. He recognized the traits that helped Maye climb so quickly. The respect is genuine, even if Buffalo has every intention of extending the slump.
Maye’s challenge is turning that vote of confidence into cleaner football.
Against an unbeaten Bills team, finding a way out will require him to protect the ball and rediscover the decisiveness that once made New England look ready to rule the division.
Patriots’ Drake Maye Gets Message on Struggles From Bills’ Josh Allen