Is Drake Maye ready for primetime? He can show it on Sunday.

FOXBOROUGH — The final time we noticed Drake Maye in prime time was his NFL debut on a Thursday evening final September.

Jacoby Brissett had taken a beating (5 sacks) by the hands of the Jets, and the panicky Patriots despatched Maye in for mop-up obligation on the finish of a 24-3 blowout. New England (139 yards of complete offense, 1.8 yards per go) received bullied in that sport, marking the start of a protracted stretch of non-competitive soccer that culminated in a 4-13 report.

Quick ahead to this Sunday evening, and Maye has his first actual alternative to indicate how a lot issues have modified for himself as a person and the Patriots as a franchise when New England visits the undefeated Buffalo Bills.

“It’s all the time a bit of further juice enjoying primetime,” Maye mentioned. “All people is watching, enjoying a division opponent. What Coach [Mike] Vrabel says is that’s the place we need to go, the place we need to be at is the place the Payments have been the previous couple years: contenders, successful the division and enjoying properly at dwelling.”

The Patriots (2-2) have been aggressive in each sport this season, shedding to Las Vegas and Pittsburgh by a landing apiece. They outdueled the Dolphins and loved a get-right sport towards Maye’s hometown Panthers final week.

4 video games in, Maye finds himself within the top-10 of a bunch of passing stats. He’s main the league in completion proportion (74.2 p.c), sixth in passing yards (988), tied for eighth in passing touchdowns (7), and fifth in quarterback score (109.4).

“You’re beginning to see him come out of his shell,” former Patriots security Rodney Harrison mentioned throughout current look on NBC’s Soccer Evening in America. “Mike Vrabel wished him to be extra of a pacesetter, and also you’re beginning to see it. He’s doing the Cam Newton [celebration], he’s smiling, he’s laughing, he’s directing site visitors.

“He’s bumping heads like Tom [Brady] used to do along with his guys,” Harrison continued. “I really like the truth that he’s popping out of his shell … the gamers embrace that.”

Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels mentioned he isn’t stunned the progress Maye is displaying.

“I believe I mentioned again within the spring how excited I used to be to work with him,” McDaniels mentioned. “Becuase of the kind of character and human being that he had already offered himself to me to be.”

“It’s nice to observe a younger participant work the place they should work and digest info, good or unhealthy, and attempt to make progress from it,” he added. “I believe each good participant I’ve been round has adopted that easy blueprint of taking every day for what it’s, not making roughly of it than what it’s.”

However, the Patriots may have their palms full with Buffalo. Nobody is giving up fewer passing yards per sport than Buffalo (125.8). They’ve received an skilled entrance seven, featureing Joey Bosa, Greg Rousseau, and Ed Oliver, who returned to observe this week. The linebackers and safeties additionally current issues, coach Mike Vrabel mentioned.

“Nice imaginative and prescient and nice gamers,” Vrabel mentioned. “They’ve received some guys on the nook, on the sting which have some size. Backers are quick, instinctive. And the safeties do an awesome job of disguising after which as soon as the match or the route declares, having the ability to match it and play it. They’ve performed a very nice job. They keep a number of, proficient in a variety of completely different coverages and so they combine it up on you.”

Maye has usually been been in comparison with Payments quarterback Josh Allen. Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs, who posted 4 consecutive 1,100-yard seasons with Allen as his quarterback, mentioned he has seen comparable traits between the 2.

“I used to be with a younger Josh. He wasn’t that younger, and clearly I’m with a younger Drake proper now. I see the similarities,” Diggs mentioned. “I strive to not get into participant comparisons in any respect. They’re two completely different younger males, however I see why they are saying that all of them play with that mindset — that canine mindset — and I see Drake coming alongside that very same manner.”

Maintaining with Allen shall be a tall process. The Payments are scoring a league-best 33.3 factors per sport. Buffalo is the final undefeated workforce standing within the AFC.

It’s time to see the place the Patriots stack up with the AFC East’s finest and whether or not Maye can grasp with the reigning league MVP.

“It’s an awesome gauge for us,” Maye mentioned. “See how a lot — like I mentioned, see what we’ve received. We’re competing on the highway in a tricky setting, and it’s one of many first instances we’ll try this as a workforce.”

“Battling by, enjoying 4 quarters of soccer, that’s going to matter. Taking part in on the highway, 4 quarters issues. You may’t simply play a half, and you may’t simply present up firstly and never on the finish, however enjoying full 4 quarters, going into hostile setting and bringing our personal vitality.”

Khari A. Thompson

Sports activities Reporter

Khari Thompson covers skilled sports activities for Boston.com. Earlier than becoming a member of the workforce in 2022, Khari lined school soccer for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.