Coming off a season that ended in the Super Bowl, even if it was a brutal loss, is something any team should celebrate. The Patriots defied the odds and returned to the Championship Game for the first time since 2018, which is even more impressive given it was Year 1 with Mike Vrabel and just Year 2 with Drake Maye.
They were set for a tougher go in 2026, given their first-place schedule, and that's exactly how the season began.
Their Super Bowl rematch with the Seahawks was frustrating, and they followed that up with disappointing outings against the Steelers and Jaguars, with much of the responsibility falling on the quarterback's shoulders.
Maye was throwing the most interceptions in the league, already topping his 2025 total, making careless mistakes, and forcing plays that didn't need to be made. His confidence was clearly shot, and something needed to change; otherwise, the season was DOA.
Based on how he has bounced back since beating the Bills in Buffalo in Week 4, it might be fair to say that taking down the division's toughest opponent is all Maye needs to regain his confidence, just as he did last year in Week 5.
And now the Patriots are on a three-game win streak, with many wondering what led to the quarterback's change in performance, other than better play from many of his offensive teammates.
He answered that question on Tuesday, ahead of a very tough Thursday Night matchup with the Bears, and it couldn't be better to hear.
Drake Maye gets honest about what helped lead to his turnaround after a rough start to 2026
As he heads into a Week 7 game coming off a stretch where he's recorded 66/103 completions (64% completion) for 878 yards, 10 passing touchdowns and 1 interception, there's a lot on the line for Maye and the Patriots against the Bears.
That has put him first in touchdowns, first in passer rating (119.3) and fifth in passing yards among all quarterbacks in the league.
Because of that, there will inevitably be a strong focus on the quarterback's performance, since his last three games contrast sharply with his first three, in which he recorded 51/80 completions (63.75% completion), 585 yards, 1 passing touchdown, and 6 interceptions.
That's what makes Maye's honesty about how he turned things around that much more fascinating, because it doesn't sound like he did too much to make the change. It might be fair to assume that he simply got out of his own head.
“(It’s) really just letting the game come to you. I think that's one of the biggest things I've tried to focus on. You want to make the right play instead of the big play.
And I've tried to really own that and get us to the right plays, and try to check the football and realize that that was really the main thing.“
Whatever he did, whether big or small changes, is working and he shouldn't do anything differently going into this week's matchup.
His confidence and poise over the past month have reminded people of his MVP-caliber campaign last year and underscored that he is the Patriots' franchise quarterback. He'll need to show he can maintain momentum and keep his current stride to keep the team moving in the right direction.
There are still tough opponents ahead before their Week 1 bye, and it would be invaluable if they go into that break with more wins than losses, which didn't look like a real possibility in the first month of the season.
But now that the Maye we came to know and love appears to be back, the Patriots' ceiling looks higher than ever, and there's no reason to doubt he can sustain his success, especially with A.J. Brown back in the mix.
As long as things go a little better than they did this past Sunday, they should have a solid time against the Bears, and much of that will come down to which version of Maye shows up in Chicago.
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