The New England Patriots had to take a tough defeat Thursday night, but quarterback Drake Maye has received two remarkable statistical endorsements.
Pro Football Focus revealed that Maye leads the entire NFL in explosive passes since the beginning of the 2025 season, putting him a ways in front of several superstar quarterbacks.
And the recognition comes alongside another eye-opening statistic from New England’s 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears on Oct. 22.
Despite facing relentless pressure, Maye produced a career-best passer rating in those situations.
Maye Dominates PFF’s Explosive Passing Rankings
PFF released its explosive passing leaderboard Friday, Oct. 23, measuring passes of at least 15 yards since the beginning of last season.
Maye occupied the top spot with 172, holding an impressive 20-pass advantage over his nearest competitor.
The five leading quarterbacks were:
- Maye: 172
- Trevor Lawrence: 152
- Matthew Stafford: 151
- Josh Allen: 148
- Jared Goff: 141
Drake Maye 172 Trevor Lawrence 152 Matthew Stafford 151 Josh Allen 148 Jared Goff 141
The separation is noteworthy when taking a gander at the legitimate quarterbacks trailing New England’s 23-year-old signal-caller.
Maye has recorded 24 more explosive passes than Allen, while his 21-pass advantage over Stafford further accentuates his consistency in generating hefty gains.
And that production has stayed evident throughout his third NFL campaign.
Against Chicago, Maye completed 24 of 31 passes for 321 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He also contributed 26 rushing yards and another score.
His highlights included a 30-yard touchdown strike to rookie tight end Eli Raridon and a 48-yard scoring connection with running back Rhamondre Stevenson.
Maye has now thrown 12 touchdown passes of at least 30 yards since the beginning of 2025, another NFL-leading mark.
The combination of explosive, sustained downfield success puts forward more evidence of Maye’s sky-high ceiling.
Maye Sets Career High Despite Bears Loss
While the explosive passing leaderboard marks Maye’s long-term production, a different statistic reveals how effectively he handled Chicago’s defensive pressure.
Patriots reporter Taylor Kyles disclosed Saturday, Oct. 24 that Maye registered a career-high 149.1 passer rating across 14 pressured dropbacks against the Bears.
The mark came with a minimum qualifying threshold of 10 pressured attempts.
According to the PFF-based breakdown, Maye completed 10 of 11 passes for 142 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions when under pressure.
Additionally, Chicago blitzed Maye on 47.2% of his dropbacks. He responded by completing 11 of 13 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns against the blitz, although he also threw an interception.
Maye repeatedly kept plays alive, maneuvered away from defenders and found receivers despite Chicago’s aggressive defensive approach.
One particularly majestic sequence featured Maye escaping pressure before connecting with Hunter Henry for a crucial third-down conversion.
Nonetheless, his second-quarter interception in the end zone hit his team hard, allowing Chicago to seize momentum before halftime.
Head coach Mike Vrabel recognized the mistake afterward but remained encouraged by his quarterback’s play.
“He gave us a chance,” Vrabel said, via Heavy.com. “I’m glad he’s ours.”
Even with Maye fielding a top-tier performance, New England fell to 4-3 following the defeat, snapping its three-game winning streak.
Patriots’ Drake Maye Beats All NFL QBs in Eye-Opening Passing Stat