Super Bowl Winner Picks Drake Maye Over Josh Allen for Bizarre Reason

Winning is the ultimate goal, but sometimes the "QB Wins" debate gets taken to ridiculous levels.

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen and New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye talk on the field. | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Buffalo Bills star Josh Allen is widely considered one of the NFL's top quarterbacks, with many analysts debating whether he or Patrick Mahomes of the Kansas City Chiefs is the league's best.

The NFL has a handful of elite quarterbacks who are also frequently mentioned in the top five, including Matthew Stafford, Joe Burrow, and Lamar Jackson. One former Super Bowl winner wants to throw another name into the mix, but his reasoning is simply bizarre.

Jason McCourty, who helped the New England Patriots win Super Bowl LIII following the 2018 season, made an argument for Drake Maye to be mentioned among the best. McCourty said that while Allen and the Bills have plenty of wins, they haven't won in the AFC Championship whereas Maye has.

"Okay, all right. 73 wins. 73 wins. You know where they haven't won, though? In the AFC Championship game. Drake Maye has done that. This New England Patriots team has done that," McCourty said on ESPN's First Take.

McCourty's claim was immediately met with criticism, as Stephen A. Smith scoffed at the notion and pointed out that Maye and the Patriots didn't have to face a healthy Denver Broncos team in the AFC Championship Game.

"Oh, please. In a blizzard without Bo Nix to go up against," Smith said.

Smith is referring to the fact that New England beat Denver in the championship game without Bo Nix. The Broncos' starting quarterback suffered a broken ankle in their Divisional Round win over Buffalo. That left the Patriots playing against a backup quarterback in terrible weather, and they still barely won by a score of 10-7.

Quarterback wins are an ineffective way to judge a player

Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen rolls out during the second quarter of an AFC Divisional Round playoff game against the Denver Broncos. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McCourty isn't the only analyst to use wins and losses to judge a quarterback, and while it's true the best players at the position typically lead their teams to success, using wins alone as a way to judge a quarterback isn't realistic.

Maye and the Patriots are a perfect example. While Maye deserves plenty of credit for helping turn his franchise around, they didn't have the toughest test in the AFC championship game. Of course, McCourty was correct in saying they can't control who they face, and that New England should be praised for getting to the Super Bowl.

That said, this was an example of them taking advantage of a golden opportunity. In no way does it mean that Maye is in the same category as Allen at this point in their careers.

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