Drake Maye's Confidence Never Wavered — And It Showed in Patriots Win

Drake Maye, ladies and gentlemen. Just a few weeks after the sky was falling (and I said it's time for concern), the New England Patriots quarterback rebounded back to his normal self.

He was surgical, mistake-free and operated with conviction as the Patriots trounced the Las Vegas Raiders, 45-17, at Gillette Stadium. Maye had five total touchdowns, one of them with his legs, and just took full control of an offense down several starters.

A.J. Brown. Mack Hollins. Mike Onwenu. TreVeyon Henderson. Will Campbell.

It didn't matter for Maye, who returned to his usual confident poise under center. He says his confidence remains sky-high for every game, but he just looked like a totally different player than he did in losses to Seattle and Jacksonville.

"I'm gonna be confident going into every game," Maye said postgame. "I'm confident in the guys around me, confident in myself, and I think it's just really just an example of practice execution showing up in the game."

Maye Shined Without Top Wideouts

Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) throws a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With no Brown and Hollins recently placed on IR with a calf injury, it was a slim wide receivers room for the Patriots. They entered the game with just four on the active roster, and only two of them had really made dents to this point.

All of them contributed in the win, with DeMario Douglas and Kyle Williams both finding the end zone for the first time this season. Romeo Doubs helped move the chains by drawing two defensive pass interference calls, and Efton Chism III caught five balls.

But their play was elevated by their quarterback, who gave them catchable balls and put them in positions to succeed.

"It's just awesome for me to see guys like Caleb (Lomu) getting in there and playing his butt off and different guys and Pop (Douglas) have been playing and running routes well all year and finally getting rewarded," Maye said. "I just love to see guys that do the right things over and over and finally get rewarded in the game, and I think that's one of the best things about my position is able to spread the wealth and see other guys succeed and it's beautiful to watch."

Oct 11, 2026; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson (38) quarterback Drake Maye (10) wide receiver Efton Chism III (86) get ready to take the field prior to a game against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After a few weeks where a bad turnover (or two, or three) felt like a given, there was no worry about if Maye might throw a costly interception this week. He delivered the ball with speed and accuracy, and had the footwork to move in and out of the pocket with ease. Maye completed 26 passes on 34 attempts and finished with a quarterback rating of 150.9 (the highest it can be is 158.3).

He's now sitting at 3-2 and could end up being back in first place if the Buffalo Bills lose. But more important, the Patriots feel like they can lean on the 24-year-old Maye. His confidence remains even-keeled, and now the results are starting to show.

"I'm gonna come into every game and every week and attack it, and I'm confident in myself and my abilities and the guys around me," Maye said.

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