The New England Patriots went into New Jersey and swamped the Jets, 42-10. They upped their record to 13-3, and it was the team's eighth straight road win in 2025. Along with the team's accomplishments thus far, young quarterback Drake Maye also joined elite Patriots company.
He passed the 4000-yard passing mark, making him only the third Patriots quarterback to do so, joining Tom Brady (11 times) and Brady's predecessor, Drew Bledsoe, who did it twice.
The penultimate 2025 regular-season game has the Patriots just one win away next week over the Dolphins from accomplishing Mike Vrabel's stated goal of knocking the Bills off the top of the AFC East. While some were optimistic, thinking a playoff berth was possible, Vrabel is on the precipice of actually achieving even more.
The key to the Patriots, as he is for any NFL team, is the quarterback. Vrabel knew that despite misguided criticism of Maye's totally mismanaged rookie season, he had a star on his hands. He confirmed that by saying Maye's presence was one of the reasons he took the job in the first place. He wasn't wrong, and Maye has fully justified his confidence.
Drake Maye has graduated to be an elite NFL quarterback
Drake Maye had a superb rookie season, though he didn't receive any first-team snaps until the fourth game of the season. Regardless, he still had a solid rookie year with a 66 percent completion rate, 15 TDs, and 10 interceptions, all with a bottom-of-the-NFL cast.
In 2025, he's been brilliant all season. Against the Jets in New Jersey, Maye took his game to an even higher level and joined two Patriots legends in the process.
.@Patriots QB @DrakeMaye2 crossed the 4,000 passing yard mark on the year with a 30-yard pass to WR @EftonChism.
— Patriots Communications (@PatriotsComms) December 28, 2025
He's only the 3rd player in team history with 4,000 passing yards in a season, joining @TomBrady (11 times) and @DrewBledsoe (Twice).#NEPats pic.twitter.com/AMcWQNEXzF
The 23-year-old Maye, operating with a banged-up offense, had a magnificent day against the Jets. He completed 19 of 21 passes (a 90 percent completion percentage) for 256 yards and five touchdowns in less than three quarters of work.
Maye also kept his MVP hopes alive, though the competition is strong in the Rams' Matthew Stafford, who's thrown for 40 touchdowns with only five interceptions.
The sky is the limit for Mike Vrabel, Drake Maye, and the Patriots
Everything changed on January 12, 2025, when MIke Vrabel was hired as the Patriots' Head Coach and chief personnel evaluator. Vrabel had a brilliant offseason in free agency, the draft, and even undrafted free agency. After a three-game wobbly start, Vrabel got Maye and his teammates untracked, and the train has been rolling down the track at full speed since.
The team, after a 1-2 start, reeled off 10 straight wins and now sits at 13-3. Maye has racked up a 71.7 percent completion percentage thus far in 2025. That is a stratospheric stat. To put it in perspective, the Rams' Stafford sports only a 65.7 percent completion rate.
And let's make one thing clear: the Patriots' roster, while upgraded dramatically by Vrabel in the 2025 offseason, is still a work in progress. At least one more offseason is needed to further fortify the roster, especially the offensive line, offensive backfield, receiving corps, and defensive edge.
Regardless, the unflappable and indomitable Drake Maye has worked with the accompanying cast he has and taken his game to a higher level. The sky is the limit for Vrabel, a candidate for NFL Coach of the Year; Maye, a candidate for the NFL's MVP; and players like TreVeyon Henderson, a candidate for the NFL's Offensive Rookie of the Year.
At this point in the 2025 season, though, nothing is to be ruled out. No one expected the 2001 New England Patriots to participate in, never mind win, the Super Bowl behind second-year quarterback Tom Brady. When you have a transcendent quarterback on hand, anything is possible.
Rule nothing out for Vrabel, Maye and Co. They just might win it all.