Patriots Super Bowl Champion Compares Drake Maye, Tom Brady

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots of today have gotten -- rightfully or not -- plenty of comparisons to the 2001 team that brought home Super Bowl XXXVI.

And while Maye and eventual Hall of Fame quarterback Tom Brady are totally different players in terms of style and ability, there's some commonalities when it comes to how early they've been able to lead their teams to Super Bowl appearances.

On the latest episode of "All Patriots Talk" podcast, Patriots on SI's Ethan Hurwitz and Mike D'Abate sat down with three-time Super Bowl champion linebacker Matt Chatham to gauge his perspective on the quarterback comparisons.

"The number one quality, and I think of this as more as a defensive player looking back at it, as a fan watching the game, or even an analyst kind of thing, (is that) both these guys step into tough throws, and both these guys don't bail on pockets that aren't perfect," Chatham said. "And you really have to operate in tight spaces and be able to walk through, and step into throws and take shots."

Chatham spent six seasons with the Patriots after signing with them ahead of the 2000 season. He was a key contributor on defense and special teams for the team's first three Super Bowl titles, playing alongside Brady to start his career.

Drake Maye And Tom Brady Are Similar In This Aspect

Sure, Brady was more of a cerebral player -- using his awareness and intelligence to help operate an offense -- while Maye is able to be mobile with his legs. But both players have a good sense of the pocket, something Chatham says the last Patriots first-round quarterback struggled with.

New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady — Feb 3, 2002; New Orleans, LA, USA; FILE PHOTO; New England Patriots quarterback (12) Tom Brady in action against the St. Louis Rams during Super Bowl XXXVI at the Superdome. The Patriots defeated the Rams 20-17 and Brady was named the games most valuable player. Mandatory Credit: Tony Tomsic-USA TODAY NETWORK | Tony Tomsic-Imagn Images

"Drake, on the other hand, will step up and walk through and then maybe leave," Chatham said. "Mac Jones was very frustrating, I think, for fans to watch for a couple years, because that was the attribute that was missing."

Maye's ability to step up in the pocket when things break down and scramble out of pressure has been an added bonus to a Patriots offense that's taken leaps and bounds from where it was in years past. When Jones was under center, and Chatham compared him to a young Russell Wilson, he would quickly evade pressure, often hoping something would spring open if he left the pocket. For Maye, the athletic ability to escape is there, but there's a sense of calmness that comes with it -- and that's what's similar to Brady.

Chatham also noted that both Maye and Brady struggled statistically in their first playoff games. It wasn't easy sledding both both quarterbacks in their postseason debuts, with Maye facing three of the league's top five defenses in the process. Yet, he's been able to weather the storm to grind out a win.

"I think the thing that I've really liked about Drake, that obviously Tommy was always so good at, is standing in there, pocket movement and manipulation, eyes downfield still to make plays when it's not perfect," Chatham said. "He's the kind of guy that does a pretty admirable job at this early stage of not taking outrageously negative plays, and a willingness to work in the dark spaces ... I think that's the type I would want running my team."

You can watch the full episode of All Patriots Talk with Chatham here.

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