Week 4 is loaded with juicy matchups, but nothing tugs at the heartstrings quite like Drake Maye squaring up against the team he grew up rooting for. But make no mistake, this isn’t the same Drake Maye who grew up as the biggest Cam Newton supporter in the world. ‘Feelings’ won’t be in the picture as Maye takes on the field against the Panthers.

Ahead of Sunday night, Drake Maye made it clear that a soft spot for Carolina doesn’t exist anymore. “A lot of great memories in that stadium. … So yeah, it’s a little different, but at the same time, it’s still just another week. Another week in the NFL, and none of the same players that I grew up rooting for, besides the long snapper, are still there,” Maye said, according to the Athletic.

That’s typical player-speak, but this nonchalant persona is a little hard to believe. And you’ll understand why. He grew up in Huntersville, barely twenty minutes from Charlotte, and little Drake wasn’t just a casual Panthers fan; he was obsessed.

We’re talking Cam Newton posters covering the bedroom walls, highlight videos on repeat, the whole deal. He even made his dad promise him a ticket to the Super Bowl back in 2015, while Carolina had managed just one playoff win in nearly a decade. And wouldn’t you know it, a year later, there he was in the stands, living the dream as the Panthers played for it all. Over time, that kid-level fandom naturally faded, but does love ever completely fade away?

Now, preparing to face off against the Panthers, it does seem like all love is lost. If you choose to believe his words, that is. And he’s only got one thing in mind: winning. “Winning matters to me. That’s the main goal. It’s why I play this position, why I play this sport. With quarterback, the ultimate stat is wins. So, that’s the biggest thing that I focus on. If that’s throwing 10 touchdowns in a game or throwing one pass in a game, just trying to win,” he said, per The Athletic. But amidst the Patriots‘ defensive struggles, it won’t be an easy task.

The Patriots aren’t walking in as the favorites

The Patriots aren’t exactly walking into this one with any kind of home-field mystique. Since the start of 2023, they have a brutal 3-16 record at Gillette Stadium, the worst home record in the league. Zoom out a bit, and it’s somehow even uglier: 11-25 since the start of 2021, also dead last. For a franchise that used to treat Foxborough like a fortress, that’s a shocking fall-off. Add in the fact that this year’s squad looks every bit as shaky as numbers suggest, and it’s no wonder nobody’s calling them the favorites.

Ball security is arguably the biggest issue they’re facing right now. In the 14-21 loss to the Steelers last week, they turned the ball over five times. They’ve done that for the first time since 2008. “So obviously, we studied what happened, and hopefully we can learn the lesson, a hard lesson, and try to improve that aspect of our offense,” OC Josh McDaniels said.

Drake Maye so far has racked up 785 yards with five TDs and two picks. You could argue that he’s the only good thing about this offense right now. He has to put up with struggling wide receivers and an OL that ranks 28th in the league this season. The defense isn’t holding up, either.

And it’ll be interesting to see if the Patriots’ only hope can put up decent numbers against this Panthers team. Drake Maye will be going up against a defense that ranks 4th in passing EPA per play and 9th in success rate. A bit peculiar considering that they have only recorded one sack this season. But that makes it all the more impressive.