The New England Patriots introduced themselves to the NFL and the nation by beating the Buffalo Bills 23-20 on Sunday Night Football. Their quarterback, Drake Maye, also made a statement with a 73.3 percent completion percentage, taking his 2025 season's total to near historic levels in NFL history at 73.9 percent. The highest ever was New Orleans' Drew Brees with 74.4 percent in 2018.
Now, after only 17 games started, equivalent to a full season in his career, Maye is already showing signs of being elite or better for the New England Patriots. The magnitude of going into the house of the best team in the AFC on a huge national stage and taking home a win can't be overestimated.
The Patriots announced themselves to the world, and Maye introduced himself as the star of the show.
One of the most essential stats a quarterback can demonstrate is completing most of his passes. One of Drake Maye's top qualities as a quarterback is his accuracy. He has not only a strong arm but a precise one, as well. In the NFL, that attribute can't be overestimated. It's the lifeblood of a passing offense.
Drake Maye is leaning on stratospheric completion percentages
It's interesting when a quarterback completes 73.3 percent of his passes and suffers a drop in percentage of almost 10 points from the previous week. Yet, that's exactly what happened to Drake Maye after his sensational 82.6 percent completions against the Carolina Panthers in Week 4.
The performance against Carolina was hailed as the best of his young career; yet even before that game, he was superb. Then, even that performance was eclipsed by his unexpected yet totally deserving win over the Bills in a toe-to-toe slogging match with the best in the business, 2024's MVP quarterback, Josh Allen. Maye slightly won that battle, and it made all the difference.
Completion percentage is not as flashy a stat as throwing a half dozen touchdown passes or unleashing a 65-yard bomb downfield for a score. Yet, over the long haul of a grueling NFL season, that plus protecting the ball by not throwing interceptions are two key components of a great offense.
Only three things kept 2024's Drake Maye from a monster completion percentage
This stratospheric completion percentage should come as little surprise to Patriot Nation or other observers who paid close attention to his rookie season in 2024. Maye got no first-tam practice snaps at all during the entire preseason and about the first four games. Though he clearly won the quarterback competition with free agent signee Jacoby Brissett, Maye was completely sidelined.
That gaffe, no matter who made the ultimate decision, cost him valuable developmental time, the team a chance to be competitive in 2024, and ultimately, Head Coach Jerod Mayo his job. Maye was the third overall pick in the NFL draft. There is no reason for him not to be the starter right away.
Regardless, Maye, with almost no first-team preparation, entered the picture and immediately made a difference. The team, despite its two major deficiencies —a sieve-like offensive line and a wide receiver room arguably the worst in the NFL, became competitive with Maye at the helm.
The rookie, despite the deficiencies of his accompanying cast, still managed a lofty 66 percent completion percentage. That should have presaged great things to come, especially when the ownership finally made the right move and hired the ultra-professional Mike Vrabel to run the football operation.
Nothing has been the same since. Vrabel set about to rebuild the offensive line and add major pieces to the wide receiver corps. It's made a huge difference. Yet, the Patriots' rebuild is still a work in progress. Once it becomes more advanced, in a year or two, expect Maye to break the NFL single-season completion percentage (if he doesn't do it this season!). And you can take that prediction to the bank.