FOXBORO — Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has made advancements in numerous elements of his recreation throughout a second-year leap, however essentially the most spectacular has been his improved accuracy.
Maye at the moment ranks first in completion proportion, completion proportion over anticipated and PFF’s adjusted completion proportion, which removes drops, spikes and throwaways.
Head coach Mike Vrabel was requested if that’s innate or one thing that Maye has labored on all through the season.
“I feel most likely somewhat little bit of each. I feel that [offensive coordinator] Josh [McDaniels] and [quarterbacks coach] Ashton [Grant] have tried to work arduous on that. I additionally assume Drake is gifted,” Vrabel mentioned.
He used an analogy, evaluating Maye to Baseball Corridor of Fame pitcher Greg Maddux, broadly considered one of the crucial correct throwers within the sport’s huge historical past.
“It’s like a pitcher. I don’t know if there’s a pitching coach that actually taught Greg Maddux easy methods to paint the plate and put the ball wherever he wished it,” Vrabel mentioned. “So, I feel there’s some pure ability there, however then I feel that they work on these issues. They work on platform, throwing off at completely different locations, nonetheless remaining correct, climbing the pocket, working with a base and all these issues. After which there’s different occasions the place it’s simply pure athletic capacity, hand-eye coordination and placing the ball in good spots.”
Maye ranks second behind Josh Allen in Professional Soccer Reference’s on-target proportion metric. He’s been significantly elite throwing deep this season, finishing 55% of his targets of 20 yards or extra.
The second-year professional is PFF’s second-highest graded deep passer this season behind Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold. Maye has accomplished 67.9% of his passes from 10-to-19 yards, 84.1% from 0-to-9 yards and 91.7% behind the road of scrimmage.
“I’m aggressive. I need to make good throws. I need to full passes in tight home windows and provides good ball placement for catch-and-run,” Maye mentioned Wednesday. “My highschool head coach used to speak about yards after catch and ball placement. I attempt to take it from there to all over the place I’ve gone. I feel accuracy is among the greatest issues. I feel you see so many nice quarterbacks who’re so correct.
“I feel it’s an ideal praise when somebody says you’re correct. I feel that’s what you attempt to work in the direction of, and since I bought within the league, it’s one thing that I’ve tried to determine myself from the get-to is to attempt to be correct.”
Maye has a singular mixture of accuracy, arm power and mobility, which supplies him one of many highest ceilings of any NFL quarterback. He’s at the moment second in NFL MVP odds, main the Patriots to a 9-2 document whereas finishing 71.9% of his passes for two,836 yards with 20 touchdowns and simply 5 interceptions. He’s additionally rushed 70 occasions for 285 yards with two touchdowns.
