Drake Maye accounted for five touchdowns and zero turnovers on Sunday, powering the Patriots to a massive 45-17 blowout over the Las Vegas Raiders. Forget the struggles of the first three weeks, because this dude is back, and looking like the force we saw in his All-Pro 2026 campaign.
The Flip Switched On For Maye
Maye’s early season looked rough, right? Through the first three weeks, the guy had just one touchdown against six painful interceptions, leaving the 1-2 Patriots feeling a little heavy. But talk about a rapid turnaround. Fast forward two weeks, and it’s like a completely different player stepped onto the field. He fired off four touchdowns in a Week 4 win over Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. Then Sunday hit, and Maye absolutely exploded.
Big Plays & No Turnovers Put Raiders Away
Sunday’s performance against the Raiders, a team that had surprisingly been one of the biggest stories of the NFL season through three weeks, was nothing short of dominant. The Raiders were not competitive, period. Maye was the driving force, plain and simple. His big-play ability, which had been hiding out early in the season, was on full display. He wasn’t just accurate, he was efficient against a Raiders defense that came into Sunday ranked eighth in the league against the pass. We are talking deep shots here, not dinking and dunking. The downfield passes that defined his All-Pro campaign in 2026? They were back, big time. And the most critical piece: zero turnovers. His final line? A ridiculous 26-of-34 passing for 374 yards, clocking in at 11 yards per attempt, with four touchdowns and no picks. He even flashed that signature scrambling ability, anchoring his game with four rushes for 29 yards, including a 3-yard touchdown on a designed run that gave the Pats a 35-10 third-quarter lead and iced the win.
Maye’s Arm Command Was Unstoppable
What really stood out was Maye’s arm and his complete command of an offense that put up a staggering 536 total yards. The Patriots marched downfield for touchdowns on their first two drives, immediately setting the tone. The first score was a beauty, a 35-yard laser to a wide-open DeMario Douglas, who just broke free in the end zone. But don’t think it was all easy throws; Maye threaded the needle on several downfield passes into tight windows. He hit tight end Efton Chism on that second touchdown drive, too. Later, he dropped a 34-yard dime to Kyle Williams down the left sideline for his third touchdown. And then he connected with tight end Eli Raridon on a crazy “tightrope throw-and-catch” over an outstretched defender for a huge gain. He even found Williams again late, another downfield dime that got the Patriots deep inside the Raiders 10-yard line. This is the guy who finished second in the MVP race in 2026, and he is playing like it.
With Maye firing on all cylinders and the Patriots now sitting at 3-2 alongside the Raiders, the outlook for New England just got a lot brighter. We’re looking at a quarterback who just put up five touchdowns and zero turnovers. If this is the Maye we get going forward, the rest of the league needs to seriously adjust their game plans. This is what “all is well” looks like, and it’s exciting to see what else he has in store for the season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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