"He surprised all of us. I knew he was going to be good but nah, I didn't know he was going to be this good," said New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs.
He had just watched his quarterback Drake Maye complete 19 of 21 passes for 256 yards and five touchdowns before leaving the game for an early rest with five minutes left in the third quarter of Sunday's 42-10 win over the New York Jets.
Diggs himself had accounted for 101 of those yards including a touchdown and a stunning Randy Moss impression over Qwan'tez Stiggers at the sideline to haul in Maye's precision-perfect off-platform strike.
It was the latest ruthless instalment of an MVP case few had envisaged, at least not in year two of Maye's career.
By the end of the night the Patriots had clinched their first AFC East division title since 2019 with Tom Brady, their playoff return already confirmed and quarterback purgatory seemingly short-lived.
In Maye they believe they have unearthed their route back to perennial contention.
"You've got a great head coach in Mike Vrabel who brings in a wonderful play-caller in Josh McDaniels and he has married that so nicely to Drake Maye," said Your Site NFL's Phoebe Schecter.
"He has needed that support system, you almost have to pretend like last season wasn't really a season for the young man.
"Drake Maye is special, his athleticism, his ability to step up in the pocket, the strength of his arm.
"He in some ways is a Josh Allen prototype, but more developed already and better at decision-making."
Sunday marked the seventh game this season in which Maye had completed at least 75 per cent of his passes while posting at least 200 yards and two touchdowns. Only Tom Brady had achieved more such games in a single campaign - his 2007 MVP season.
"I heard Josh McDaniels say this, he talked about how much information Drake Maye could handle, he talked about Tom Brady level information," said Your Site NFL's Jeff Reinebold. "That's phenomenal in your second year."
The Patriots drafted Maye with the third overall pick out of North Carolina in 2024, throwing for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while going 3-9 as starter in a turbulent rookie campaign under one-and-done head coach Jerod Mayo.
New England would turn to Mike Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to oversee his development this past offseason. The results have exceeded expectations, Maye flaunting every weapon in the bag in his emergence as one of football's most dominant passers.
Such has been his impact that the NFL's MVP race appears to be between Maye and Matthew Stafford heading into the final week of the regular season.
"They don't give me a vote, but I would, there's nobody else that we want as our quarterback or that I want as our quarterback," said Patriots head coach Vrabel.
Maye currently ranks third in passing yards with 4,203 while averaging a fourth-most 262.7 yards per game with 30 touchdowns to just eight interceptions and a league-high passer rating of 112.9 following Sunday's win over the Jets. And in a chapter where defenses have flocked to limit offenses to short plays, Maye leads the NFL with 8.9 yards per pass attempt.
"I said, 'You're him!' probably three or four times," said Patriots receiver Efton Chism III. "I think everyone sees how great he is and how well he's playing, but he'll probably never say it about himself.
"He's a humble guy, and I respect and appreciate that about him, so if I get an opportunity to tell him, I want to tell him in that moment."
He has displayed every attribute customary to an elite-level contending quarterback, shifting Vrabel's Patriots project ahead of schedule and ending Buffalo's monopoly on the East to change the AFC landscape.
"I just want to be his friend. When he's back there he looks so cool, confident," said Your Site NFL's Jason Bell.
"When he throws the ball vertically deep, the touch he has on it, the precision. Him with McDaniels, they will find a way to script a good game plan.
"It wouldn't be shocking if they were in the final four."
Here is how the playoffs would look if the season ended today:
AFC Wild Card round:
First-round bye: (1) Denver Broncos
NFC Wild Card round:
First-round bye: (1) Seattle Seahawks
Saturday January 10-12: Wild Card round
January 17-18: Divisional Round
January 25: AFC and NFC Championship games
February 8: Super Bowl LX
Watch the 2025 NFL season live on Your Site, including every minute of the playoffs and Super Bowl LX; or .
