Drake Maye Scripts NFL History Following Dominant 5 TD Performance Against Jets

A week after Brock Purdy threw five touchdowns for the 49ers, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye matched him with five of his own in a blowout victory against the Jets.

Drake Maye Scripts NFL History Following Dominant 5 TD Performance Against Jets

Drake Maye scripts history (Image via IMAGO)

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Drake Maye completed the clean sweep of the New York Jets and, in the process, etched another record to his name. He threw five total touchdowns and completed 90% of his attempted passes.

Maye has demonstrated remarkable growth in just his second year in the league. The New England Patriots were already through to the playoffs, and it was only a matter of how many games they could win before wrapping up the regular season.

Standing in front of them was a Jets team that had won just two games all year. Naturally, the Patriots were viewed as the firm favorites to extend their winning run.

Maye made sure that the Patriots would leave with all the points as he threw three touchdowns within the first twenty minutes. Austin Hooper opened the scoring (2 yards) with his second touchdown of the year, followed by two (one yard and 22 yards) from running back Rhamondre Stevenson.

A couple more followed in the second quarter. Stefon Diggs, who missed a golden opportunity last week in the win over the Ravens, scored his fourth TD (3 yards) since moving to Boston. Hunter Henry became the second tight end to score a TD when Maye connected with the veteran on a 13-yard score.

Maye’s fifth TD pass was special for a couple of different reasons. First of all, he joined an elite list of players to throw a five in one NFL game, and second, the move was completed by undrafted rookie Efton Chism III, who was making his league debut.

Maye’s Week 17 tally rounded to 19 completions from 21 pass attempts (90.4%) for 256 yards, 5 touchdowns, zero turnovers, and a quarterback rating of 158.3. According to NFL and ESPN research, Drake Maye is the first player in NFL history to complete 90% of his passes while throwing for 250 yards and 5 TDs in a single game.

The Jets managed to notch a touchdown at the death through Breece Hall. It was still a 42-10 beatdown in the end.

Drake Maye helps the Patriots clinch the AFC East

The Patriots entered a barren spell after Tom Brady ditched them to sign for the Buccaneers in 2020. It created a power struggle at the top of the AFC East between the Buffalo Bills and the Miami Dolphins.

Drake Maye Scripts NFL History Following Dominant 5 TD Performance Against Jets
Drake Maye (Image via IMAGO)

The Dolphins gave a fair challenge to the Bills, but Josh Allen helped the Bills to five straight conference titles. Analysts favored the Bills to make it six in a row, and for a brief period, the Bills looked like the team to beat until the Patriots disrupted their dominance.

The win in New York and the Bills’ loss to the Eagles in the night game were enough for the Patriots to clinch their first conference crown since 2019.

The Patriots have tied the Denver Broncos with a 13-3 record and now hold the AFC’s second seed, sitting just one spot behind Denver. As their reward, the Patriots will host their playoff game at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.

On a personal note, Maye crossed 4000 passing yards (4203 yards), from 340 completions (71.7%), and has thrown 30 passing touchdowns in 16 games. He has also rushed for 409 yards and scored 4 touchdowns. According to Josh Dubow of the Associated Press, Maye currently boasts the second-best odds to win his maiden NFL MVP trophy.

The Patriots finish the regular season by hosting the 7-9 Miami Dolphins. In the reverse fixture, Maye threw 2 touchdowns and 230 yards to seal a 33-27 victory.

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