Drake Maye Chooses to Stay Humble After Getting MVP Chants in Tampa Bay: “They May Be for Baker”

Drake Maye threw 2 touchdowns and 1 interception as the Patriots edged out the Buccaneers to secure an 8th win of the season.

Drake Maye Chooses to Stay Humble After Getting MVP Chants in Tampa Bay: “They May Be for Baker”

Drake Maye and Tracy Wolfson in circle and Baker Mayfield (Image via X/IMAGO)

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The showdown between Drake Maye and Baker Mayfield did not disappoint. It was end-to-end action from start to finish.

Dubbed the ‘successor bowl‘ because of both quarterbacks’ ties to Tom Brady, the outcome came at a heavy price. The Buccaneers started as the betting favorites to sneak a win after their bye.

The Bucs took the first lead, but the Patriots went into the break leading by four points through two touchdown passes from Drake Maye to Kyle Williams and Stefon Diggs. Second half at Raymon James Stadium kicked off with a 55-yard rushing touchdown from rookie TreyVeon Henderson, followed by a quick snag from Bucs rookie Tez Johnson.

Maye made a terrible blunder midway through the fourth quarter. While trying to find a teammate inside the Bucs’ end zone, the second-year shot caller hit corner Tykee Smith for just his 5th interception of the year.

The Patriots’ steadfast defense kept the score unchanged, setting the stage for Henderson’s decisive impact. On the second play, the Ohio State graduate eluded multiple Buccaneers defenders and delivered a remarkable 69-yard rushing touchdown.

Johnson managed to add another touchdown to his tally in the closing moments, making the scoreline more respectable. However, the game concluded with a 28-23 win for the Patriots.

Both May and Mayfield showed decisiveness in their distribution. Maye finished with 16 completions for 270 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 1 pick.

During the post-game interview, CBS Sports’ Tracy Wolfson pointed out the MVP chants echoing through the stadium. Maye modestly dismissed the idea that the chants were directed at him.

[Those MVP chants] may be for Baker [Mayfield]. He played his (expletive) off… Big fan of Baker’s game for a good football team, but you know, we travel well. That’s the Patriots, that’s us, we are gonna travel every week.

Drake Maye said

Maye is correct, as Mayfield had an outstanding game with 28 completions for 273 yards and 3 touchdowns. The victory significantly boosted Maye’s chances for his first league MVP trophy.

Former NFL quarterback pointed to one major reason for Drake Maye’s rise as an MVP-caliber quarterback

The Patriots’ offense is clicking on all cylinders, with Drake Maye leading the charge. Some may claim the team has taken advantage of a weak schedule, facing below .500 teams like the Titans, Dolphins, and Browns. While there’s some truth to that, at the end of the day, they still had to win those fixtures as well.

Drake Maye Chooses to Stay Humble After Getting MVP Chants in Tampa Bay: "They May Be for Baker"
Drake Maye (Image via IMAGO)

Maye finds ways to win games, a trait he lacked in his debut NFL season. The difference from that year to the current is the presence of a proven offensive coordinator. Former NFL quarterback turned ESPN analyst, Dan Orlovsky, credited Josh McDaniels for fine-tuning Maye’s game.

McDaniels has turned May into a legitimate deep ball wizard. He tops the league in 20+ yard throws and boasts the best QBR while doing it. Orlovsky believes that Maye should be the MVP favorite over Colts RB Jonathan Taylor and Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford.

The MVP of the NFL right now is Drake Maye, when it comes to the value that you are providing, given what’s around you.. Drake Maye is playing quarterback just about as good as anybody, with the least amount of help around him when it comes to just talent. That’s not a knock on those guys, just keeping it real.

Dan Orlovsky said on Get Up last month

MVPs aren’t decided after ten weeks of football. Fans must wait until the final game of the year to find out who truly is the best player in the NFL.

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