The New England Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye have extraordinarily high standards this year. They came out on top against the best defense in the league, eliminating the Houston Texans, but the sophomore quarterback thinks that 28 points weren’t enough. He pointed fingers at himself and admitted he wanted to do a better job against Houston’s explosive defense.

“Credit to their defense,” said Drake Maye. “We knew they were going to be good, and they lived up to the hype…on the edge is tough. I’ve got to do a better job stepping up, hitting some guys down the field when we had some chances…the elements were a little tough, I’ve got to be better with the football when I take off running,”

He performed well on paper today. Maye finished 16 of 27 for 179 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception in the Divisional Round win. Against man coverage, he was sharp, going 8/12 for 106 yards and all three scores. Still, the issue that’s followed him all season showed up again. The ball hit the ground too often.

He fumbled four times, pushing his season total to 14 fumbles, the most in the league. Six of those have been lost, tied with Sam Darnold for the second most this year. Only Cam Ward has more. Maye also joined a short and uncomfortable list. He became just the second player in the past 15 years to have three fumbles in one half of a playoff game, along with C.J. Stroud.

Even so, context matters. This was a Texans defense that tried everything. New England didn’t pile up yardage or first downs. They finished with just 13. But Houston’s offense never took advantage. Stroud had one of the roughest halves of his career, throwing four interceptions before halftime, and even an elite defense can only hold up for so long when that keeps happening.

And make no mistake, Houston’s defense earned its reputation this season. They finished third in defensive EPA per play and second in DVOA. All-Pro years from Derek Stingley Jr. and Will Anderson Jr. helped hold teams to a league-low 277 yards per game.

So yes, Maye can be proud of his production tonight. Over the course of the season, and especially tonight, there’s plenty there for him to build on. And head coach Mike Vrabel will keep getting the best out of him.

Drake Maye confirms the dynamic with Mike Vrabel

This was supposed to be a long rebuild in the post–Tom Brady era. However, Drake Maye’s growth has accelerated things. He has put himself squarely in the MVP conversation in just his second year, and after the win over the Houston Texans, he’s now led New England to the AFC Championship Game.

Ask Maye how he got here, and he doesn’t hesitate to point to his head coach, Mike Vrabel.

“He challenges me. He challenges me every day in practice, every time I come back from the sidelines from a drive, he’s got something to say. That’s meaningful,” he said.

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People always believed Maye was going to be good. He threw for 2,276 yards and 15 interceptions in 2024, but the rough edges showed up weekly. Despite the production, he threw 10 picks in just 12 starts. Now, he’s one of the most reliable quarterbacks in football. He has only thrown 8 picks this year.

That rookie season came under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and a short-lived head coach in Jerod Mayo. The Patriots went 3-9 with Maye as the starter, and the offense never really found its footing. Maye made the Pro Bowl in both of his seasons as a starter, but what he’s done this year has been on a different level.

Maye went 14-3 in the regular season. He finished the year leading the league in completion percentage. Coming into tonight’s game, he threw for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns, added 450 rushing yards and four more scores with his legs, and controlled games in a way New England hasn’t seen in years. If things break right, the MVP isn’t out of the question.

Maye credits that jump to Vrabel pushing him every single day. And the respect clearly runs both ways.

“I came here because of the familiarity. I came here because of Drake,” Vrabel said. “I knew what he would be, and it was important for me to come here. And that’s someone I wanted to coach. And so building a program is about that. It’s about putting great people around your really good players. That’s what Drake is for us.”

Now, the Patriots are two wins away from something that felt impossible not long ago. And if they pull it off, Maye and Vrabel might be starting something together that lasts a lifetime.