The Patriots' 2026 season was projected to be far more difficult than last year's schedule, given that they won the AFC East, the AFC, and made it to the Super Bowl. Many believed they would crack under the pressure, particularly Drake Maye, and that's what we saw in the first three games when the team went 1-2.
Much of that stemmed from the quarterback's apparent lack of confidence, plus the constant piling up of injuries across the offense. The offensive line was especially tragic: they lost Mike Onwenu to a broken ankle in Week 2, then his backup got injured, and after this past Sunday, they're now on their fourth backup right guard.
The offense looked doomed after Will Campbell suffered an injury last week, but he played the entire game against the Jets this weekend. But that luck didn't last long: Morgan Moses left with a hamstring injury, and Ben Brown later left with a knee injury, leaving Drake Maye with a randomly assembled group.
The Patriots are fortunate that the quarterback has looked more like himself over the past three weeks, allowing him to withstand the challenge of a patched-up offensive line, and he couldn't be more pleased with how the team held up against a very good Jets defense.
Drake Maye gives a lot of credit to the Patriots' offensive line for their Week 6 performance
While speaking to reporters after the game, Maye responded to a question about the offensive line's performance with a huge shoutout, as the team does after games.
Because they didn't allow a single sack for the first time this season, it was a massive accomplishment under the circumstances, and Maye couldn't help but gush about how good they were and add that his wife would be sending them more baked goods soon.
Drake Maye on the #Patriots O-Line allowing 0 sacks today:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) October 18, 2026
“Clap. Have to clap it up right there.”
“I said I gotta bring them some more treats. Shoutout Ann Michael. Gotta keep on bringing some more treats. Those guys are doing a heck of a job in there… They’re coaching them… pic.twitter.com/uOEgqClFtF
Besides giving them credit for keeping him off the ground, Maye rightfully acknowledged how good their protection was for the run game, something that has been a major weakness for the Patriots all season.
That helped them use Corey Kiner late in the fourth quarter to run the clock down, leaving the Jets with too little time to try to score more at the end. That's the kind of effort most weren't expecting going into the season, since the offensive line was considered one of the team's more vulnerable groups.
Depth was a significant concern, and with so many injuries already in the group, it is proving far better than expected.
They'll need that even more going forward, with Brown and Moses's immediate and long-term futures up in the air. That'll be especially important this week, since they face the Bears on Thursday Night Football, so we'll have to see how the new group holds up against another tough opponent, this time for the entire game.
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