Three games into 2026, Drake Maye looks nothing like the quarterback who just helped New England win 14 games. We live in a world of hyperbole and overreactions, but this is not that. Maye threw eight interceptions in 17 regular-season games during the Patriots' improbable run from a four-win outfit in 2024 to representing the AFC in the Super Bowl seven months ago.
He already has six through three games in 2026, against just one TD pass. His completion percentage has dropped from 72.0% to 63.8%, his yards per attempt from 8.9 to 7.3, and his passer rating from 113.5 to 58.6. The most troubling part isn't that the Patriots offense has been worse.
It's that Maye has been a big reason why. Sunday against Jacksonville was the latest manifestation of it. Maye finished 14 of 25 for 199 yards with no touchdowns, two interceptions and a lost fumble in a 35-6 loss. oh no Drake Maye... pic.twitter.com/uwCHx632lv That came after three fourth-quarter interceptions against Seattle in Week 1 and another bad pick against Pittsburgh a week later.
The Seattle game is what makes the slide so jarring: Maye was 17 of 22 with a TD, no interceptions and a 105.7 passer rating through three quarters before it all imploded in the final three possessions. It was like you could see him regressing in real time. And that would have, in fact, been a real-time overreaction following the loss in Seattle, but the last nine quarters have been some bad, bad ball.
If you're looking for excuses, there are reasons Maye has looked worse than he has, and they have little to do with Maye himself. The Patriots have played a much tougher schedule. Brown's unavailability changes what the passing game looks like.
Losing guard Mike Onwenu cannot be overstated. Receivers aren't always separating, and the protection has been shaky, too: coming into the Jaguars game, Maye faced a 43.5% pressure rate, according to PFF, fourth-highest among starting QBs. But here's the problem: pressure can cause bad plays.
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