Drake Maye absolutely went off for three touchdown passes on Sunday, powering the New England Patriots to a gritty 26-19 win over the New York Jets, even after the Pats lost three offensive linemen mid-game. This dude is on fire, clocking his third straight game with at least three TD throws, a stat that tells you everything about where this team is heading.
Maye’s Absolute Grind Amidst The Chaos
Let’s talk about Drake Maye. The guy was 18 of 32 for 235 yards, but it’s not just the numbers. It’s how he kept it together when the protection around him was just *gone*. Morgan Moses went down with an ankle injury, Alijah Vera-Tucker got hit with a hamstring issue, and Ben Brown had a knee problem. That’s your right tackle, left guard, and right guard all out! You’d think the offense would fall apart, but Maye stayed composed.
He dropped a 42-yard diving touchdown catch to Romeo Doubs, a 9-yard grab to DeMario Douglas, and then a clutch 7-yard strike to Hunter Henry. Douglas was a beast all day, hauling in a team-high seven catches for 86 yards. Yeah, A.J. Brown, back from IR, had three catches for 27 yards, but also three drops on ten targets, so his timing was definitely off. Despite all the injuries, including Doubs leaving in the first quarter with a shoulder issue after his TD, the Patriots just kept rolling. They’ve won three in a row now, pushing their record to 4-2, and have dominated the Jets, winning their fourth straight against them and 19th in their last 21 meetings. Wild.
Jets’ Woes And A Stout Patriots D
The Jets? Man, talk about missed opportunities. Geno Smith finished 20 of 30 for 252 yards with a touchdown to rookie Omar Cooper Jr., who had six catches for 103 yards in his return from IR. But the big story there was Charles Woods picking off Smith in the fourth quarter. It was Smith’s first interception of the *entire season*, coming on his 166th pass. That’s a huge streak to snap, and it came at a critical moment for the Jets, who were trying to cut the deficit to a field goal.
The Patriots defense was just suffocating. They held New York to 0 for 3 in the red zone, which is absolutely lights out. The Jets were also a dismal 3 of 10 on third down and got stopped on fourth-down runs on consecutive possessions in the second quarter. Christian Gonzalez returning from his two-game shoulder injury absence definitely gave them a boost. The Jets had a chance to tie it in the third, but the Patriots D forced them to settle for a field goal. Later, after David Bailey stripped TreVeyon Henderson and Jamien Sherwood recovered, Smith got sacked by Elijah Ponder, forcing *another* field goal from Jason Sanders. When Maye found Henry for that 7-yard score (even with Andy Borregales missing the extra point), it pushed the lead to ten. Four plays later, Smith overshot Kenyon Sadiq, and Woods grabbed that pick. That’s how you shut down a rally.
The Patriots are 4-2, riding a serious hot streak, and they’re proving they can win even when things get absolutely brutal on the injury front. They’ve got that momentum, and after Sunday’s win, you just know this team is ready to keep pushing hard.
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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