#drake-maye

#drake-maye

The Patriots want to extend their win streak and maintain their undefeated away record, but they'll likely be without some key contributors on offense, which will already be in for a tough day against a very dominant Tampa defensive line. Although they faced the league's best defense just two weeks ago vs. the Browns, the Bucs are not going to be any easier.

If you want to talk about a leap in the NFL's MVP odds, let's cite the New England Patriots' meteorically rising second-year quarterback, Drake Maye, in the discussion. Maye, as predicted, has exploded onto the NFL scene and has risen to third in the latest MVP Odds of a major national observer. And, as the Carpenters once sang, he's "Only just begun".

To the naked eye, when a quarterback takes a lot of sacks, the offensive line gets the brunt of the blame. The one black mark on the New England Patriots' six-game winning streak has been Drake Maye taking sacks, as the second-year passer has been sacked 15 times over the last 11 quarters. That certainly isn't sustainable for a team looking to surprise the NFL landscape by winning the AFC East, which the Patriots have an excellent chance of doing.

But that doesn't mean this Patriots-Falcons matchup lacks intrigue, mostly because of the anticipation to see what Most Valuable Player candidate Drake Maye will achieve this week. Maye, who has made the second-year leap in a manner so spectacular that even the most optimistic Patriots fan could not have imagined it, has thrown for 2,026 yards and 15 touchdowns against just three interceptions, leads the NFL in completion percentage (a staggering 75.2) and passer rating (118.7), while also running for 250 yards and two touchdowns.

Even with the emergence of Kayshon Boutte and the offseason addition of Stefon Diggs, there's no such thing as too many weapons for Drake Maye. Diggs turns 32 in November, and with how quickly offenses evolve in today's league, New England would be wise to keep an eye on the next wave of playmakers in the 2026 NFL Draft. Here are three prospects at wideout -- one for each day of the draft --

Julian Edelman is no stranger to chasing championships. During his time with the New England Patriots, the team won three Super Bowls and played in five, and Edelman carved out a Hall of Fame-caliber career as a gutty slot wide receiver. He's one of many believers in his former team as the Patriots have carved out a four-game winning streak - including the last three on the road - a stretch that has seen second-year quarterback Drake Maye playing at an MVP level.

"Runners get into a rhythm," McDaniels said. "And sometimes that happens. I know TreVeyon has led us in carries in other games, and certainly Rhamondre [Stevenson] did last week. So, there's nothing specific. I think all those guys are continuing to work really hard. They play an active role in us improving ourselves in the running game.

Lemon doesn't jump off the page at first glance. He's undersized at 5-foot-11, and he doesn't have the blazing speed of some other prospects. But the USC wideout is a technician on the field. He can operate in the slot or on the outside, using his lateral quickness and impressive feel for zone coverage to consistently find open space. The wide out has sure hands, rarely dropping passes that come his way.

He was asked why he chose to attend local high school football game between Catholic Memorial and Xaverian on Friday night. "I heard it was a big game in the local area, I think [it was] two state champions playing," Maye said. "Just trying to support. It brings me back to those days when I was playing." Maye made the trip to Westwood after practice and before the Patriots headed to Nashville for a blowout win against the Titans.

Maye's current 71.4 percent completion percentage on passes that travel over 20 yards in the air is ridiculous, and obviously not sustainable; the league average is closer to 40 percent. New England's offense could face some downfield regression as soon as Sunday afternoon's game against the Tennessee Titans at Nissan Stadium (and it has nothing to do with the Titans' woeful defense).

New England Patriots Mike Vrabel is facing off against a Titans team that he coached for six seasons. The Patriots will look to make it four wins in a row on Sunday afternoon against Mike Vrabel's former team in Nashville. For Week 7, the Patriots (4-2) will take on the Tennessee Titans (1-5) at Nissan Stadium - with kickoff set for 1 p.m. You can watch the game on CBS, as well as listen on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

The best of the bunch and the team's leader in receptions is Stefon Diggs. In the Carolina and Buffalo games, Diggs seemed poised to break out as the Patriots' consistently top receiver. Yet, against the Saints, he had only three catches for 28 yards while Kayshon Boutte led the way with five for 93. Rhamondre Stevenson and Hunter Henry are the other two who've led the team in catches in games.