Patriots’ Drake Maye Outperforms Tom Brady in Key Metric

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye just put the league on notice. And yes, the Tom Brady successor talk is officially out of the group chat and onto the field. Maye didn’t just step into Patriots history this season; he kicked the door down and made himself at home among the greats.

On December 28, 2025, at MetLife Stadium, Maye was in full QB1 mode. Calm. Surgical. Ruthless. He went 17-of-19 for 229 yards and four touchdowns before halftime, carving up the Jets like it was seven-on-seven. Everybody ate Austin Hooper, Rhamondre Stevenson, Stefon Diggs, and Hunter Henry all punched it in.

And that was just the beginning. Maye crossed the 4,000-yard passing mark, becoming only the third quarterback in New England Patriots history to do it. Joining Tom Brady (11 times, because of course) and Drew Bledsoe, who did it twice. MVP case? Strong as a linebacker.

Still not done. Maye came out after halftime, tossed a fifth touchdown in the third quarter, then clocked out early, mission accomplished. Statement made. The future isn’t coming to Foxborough anymore. It’s already here, and it’s wearing No. 10.

Tom Brady Did It Once in 23 Years But Drake Maye Did It Twice

The New England Patriots handled business in true Pats fashion, rolling the Jets 42–10, and in the process, Drake Maye cracked another piece of franchise history. He became the first Patriots quarterback to throw five touchdown passes in a game since Tom Brady did it back in 2017. That same afternoon Brady torched the Texans for 378 yards.

The second Maye joined Brady in that elite company, he didn’t just stand next to him. He passed him on the fast lane. As noted by Andrew Callahan on X, Brady had one game in his entire 23-year career with 20-plus pass attempts and fewer than three incompletions. Maye? He’s already done it twice in his first 28 career starts.

That Brady game was one of the most underrated of his career. He went 26-of-28 in a divisional-round win over the Jaguars in Jan. 2008: https://t.co/9aGGQOdWKr
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) December 29, 2025

Yes, the Patriots dynasty officially closed shop when Brady bolted for Tampa. But the vibe in Foxborough feels familiar again, because the engine is back under center. Four of Maye’s five touchdown strikes came before halftime, and by the third quarter, the game was already in garbage-time territory.

The win pushed New England to 13–3, marking their first 13-win season since 2016, the year Brady capped things off with a Super Bowl parade. History doesn’t repeat itself, but it sure does rhyme.

So, can Maye finish the job?

In this league, everything flows through the quarterback, and Mike Vrabel knew exactly what he was signing up for. Despite the noise and the rookie-year mismanagement chatter, Vrabel saw the blueprint early. He’s said Maye was a major reason he took the job. And every Sunday since has been a receipt.

Forget individual hardware. The real target is Lombardi No. 7. The Patriots haven’t been back to the Super Bowl since 2019, when Brady closed the book on his New England chapter with ring No. 6.

Now the question isn’t if the Patriots are back. It’s whether Drake Maye is about to finish what he started.

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