Going back to the 2024 NFL draft, the best-case scenario for Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has been that he winds up something like Bills star Josh Allen. The vision and arm strength was there, and the notion that Maye–despite just 26 starts at North Carolina–had the same sort of toughness and willingness to throw his body around that Allen does was all part of the projection.

It hasn’t quite come together like that. Though he is just two years into his NFL career, Maye has already shown he is a quarterback with a finer touch than Allen. Maye a deep-ball thrower whose precision is unmatched in the NFL, even at age 23. Maye has completed 276 of his 386 passes this year for a 71.5% completion rate, the best in the NFL, and he does not do so by being, as he called it, “Checkdown Charlie.”

Maye throws the ball down the field–his adjusted yards per attempt, at 9.33, leads the league.

Drake Maye, Josh Allen ‘Good at What They Do’

All this is not to say that Maye, as he prepares for face Allen again after beating him in a key Week 4 game in Buffalo, is better that Allen. But it is to say that Allen has managed to win and be an MVP-caliber quarterback with a deeper combination of refinement and brute strength than Maye.

Coach Mike Vrabel, who pushed off comparisons between the two QBs ahead of the first meeting, indulged in the comp this time around.

“I think they’re both really good at what they do,” Vrabel said. “Josh probably has got a couple ‘Lbs’ on him and can kind of throws his shoulder in there probably a little bit more than I would want Drake to, but I think they’re both great competitors.”

Patriots Have Seen Drake Maye’s ‘Growth’

Vrabel has been steady in his evaluation of Maye throughout the season, and was tempered in his praise of him early in the year. But with the Patriots at 11-2 and Maye an unquestioned top candidate for the MVP award, he has been more effusive. But this week, he was effusive about Allen, too.

“I think they’re – a lot of respect for Josh and just his ability to make something out of nothing,” Vrabel said. “I’ve enjoyed watching Drake’s growth here, but I’m not going to say one’s a certain way and one’s the other. Just a huge challenge going against a quarterback that’s under control, he’s got command and just doesn’t look panicked or rattled when you rush him, or gets them into the right play call, whatever that may be. Just an excellent, obviously, MVP quarterback.”

Patriots Are Underdogs in Week 15

The Patriots will find themselves in a rare position this week, as they will play a game at Gillette Stadium as the underdogs, with the Bills installed by Las Vegas as the 4.5-point favorites. There is much on the line–the Patriots can seal the AFC East.

The public, it should be pointed out, hasn’t believed that initial line, as the Patriots’ underdog status as been bet down to just 1.0 point.

Said Vrabel: “I mean, again, it gets brought to attention. I don’t think that – every week you see in this league that records really don’t mean anything, the point spreads and survivor pools get blown up every week and all that other stuff. So, we’re just trying to focus on our preparation here and getting back into it.

“Had a good day Monday, excited about the meetings thus far today, and then progress through the week.”