One of the biggest mistakes Bill Belichick made during his tenure as the head coach of the New England Patriots was not adequately preparing for life after Tom Brady. Although the quarterback's decision to leave the team and play for the Bucs was unexpected, the Patriots didn't have a plan in place that would have put their offense in a good position under a new quarterback.
The backups they had on the roster weren't going to amount to more than that role, forcing Belichick to really look into his options and eventually sign veteran Cam Newton. It wasn't a move many predicted would happen, given the type of player the former Panther was, but he was the starter for the 2020 season.
After the Newton buzz fizzled out and Mac Jones was drafted, it looked like the Patriots may have finally found the quarterback of the future. That lasted just one season, with Jones' performance rapidly deteriorating over the next two years and ultimately resulting in the drafting of Drake Maye in 2024.
Despite being deemed a project and the most likely to spend a year on the bench during his rookie year, Maye has impressed since being named the starter in Week 6. He continues to prove he's far more talented than anyone believed and, to some analysts, has since been labeled the best quarterback of his class.
That's far from what opposing fans of the Patriots wanted to hear this season.
The Patriots hitting it out of the park with Drake Maye's selection is making opposing fans unhappy
The Patriots record is nothing to be excited about, nor does it accurately reflect just how good Maye has been for the offense, but many fans got a good look at just how talented he is when playing the Bills in Week 16.
It was projected to be an absolute domination from the AFC East Champions, especially since Josh Allen has been on an MVP chase all year. But with the help of Maye and a stellar performance from the defense, the Patriots were able to keep the score within reach, and the rookie actually outplayed Allen, which was not expected or exciting for Bills fans.
Not even going to lie, Drake Maye is going to be a STAR. As a bills fan I’m not excited but man you can’t deny it lol.
— BillsMuse (@BillsMusee) December 22, 2024
Also defense? We doing this again?
But it wasn't just Bills fans who have become disappointed by the Patriots' success with Maye. Dolphins fans also took to social media to share their feelings, too.
All I can say is that I'm thrilled Miami locked him up for a few more years, essentially eliminating themselves from division contention. I was just hoping the Pats were going to lock up the equally terrible Mac Jones. Unfortunately this Kid they drafted might actually be good.
— Doc (@EmmettBrownMD) December 23, 2024
Perhaps they're getting too far ahead of themselves by already concluding that Maye is the real deal and will be a star for the Patriots for a long time. Or maybe they're spot on, and their assessments are predictions of the future.
Only time will tell, but it is fun for Patriots fans to finally have a quarterback who provides a lot of optimism about what the team can become over the next few years, all while instilling fear in their divisional opponents to make it even better.