Drake Maye - With Tons of Help From Stefon Diggs - Just Announced to the World He Has Arrived and the Patriots are a Team to Be Feared Once Again

I'll be up in just a few hours to have something a lot more in depth about this game first thing in the morning. As always. Because I have many thoughts. 

But right now it's all about a 23-year-old quarterback and his true WR1 and what this team just established before a national audience.

It was your classic scenario. The one playing in your head every time you ever played against your friends in the backyard. On the road. In a hostile environment. Against one of, if not the, best team in the league. Tie game. Just over 2 minutes to play. All your time outs. Everything on the line. The kid making his 17th career start with the ball in his hands and the eyes of the world upon him. He's got to get his team upfield, bleed the clock, take care of the ball, and put his kicker in position to win it. 

And what does he do? Fights off a pass rusher who is almost certain 2nd & 18, killing the drive before had a chance to begin, and instead his WR1 for a 1st down. Then follow that up by fitting the ball into a tight window under Cover-2 for 19 yards:

Then fight off yet another sack to get back to the original line of scrimmage to give his rookie kicker a legitimate chance on the game winner. 

This is what the greats do. Drake Maye went into the lion's den and pulled out the biggest win this franchise has seen since probably 2021. He fed Stefon Diggs, who ripped the heart out of the Bills Mafia he used to go to Pro Bowls for. Maye finished with his fourth straight 100.0-plus passer rating game. Diggs' 10-catch, 146-yard night was his second straight game with 100-plus. 

More importantly, they combined to help put 17 points on the board in the 2nd half of a divisional road game. Which if that number sounds familiar, is how many points the Patriots scored per game last season. Meaning they established this is a team that is done being pushed around. They have a young quarterback who just outdueled the NFL MVP in his own building. And did it while throwing to the best target Josh Allen ever had. 

So the days of the Patriots being a national punchline are over. This is a dangerous team that is not to be fooked with. Be afraid, NFL. Be very afraid. The New England Patriots you thought you didn't have to worry about any more are the monster in your closet once more.