Drake Maye is the Most Valuable Player in the NFL

[Stu Pidassle]

I agree but Mac has a better offensive line and more weapons in Jacksonville, and still sucks. Maybe the QB shining or failing is not as dependent on the cast around him as posters like to think?

The stats don't tell you that during his first few games Mac had already demonstrated that he was mentally fragile despite following a very friendly game plan. Who can forget the end of a loss where BB had to take Mac by the hand and lead him into the locker room because he was so upset? In the end Mac's inability to handle pressure was a big part of his undoing as an NFL QB. There are no such concerns with Maye, he has been calm, cool and collected while chaos reigns around him. Under the circumstances his steady improvement game to game is even more impressive.

 

[Drunken Cicerone]

For any single player? You’d have to say no I assume. He’s the second youngest QB in the league, and came in and over an offense that was historically bad and made it at the very least look competent.

I think Denver feels the same way about Nix, Washington about Daniels and so on.

 

[archstanton543]

For any single player? You’d have to say no I assume. He’s the second youngest QB in the league, and came in and over an offense that was historically bad and made it at the very least look competent.

Looks can be deceiving.

 

[NFL Mystique]

He is way more talented than Nix. Imagine what Payton would do with Maye.

 

[Mike the Brit]

Having said that, for reasons that remain unclear, Jones regressed significantly in year 2 and then significantly again in year 3 (and what little action he has seen in year 4 has been nothing short of a disaster).

The difference between an offense coached by Josh McDaniels with Bricillo as O-line coach and an offense/O-line coached by Belichick, Patricia and Judge is as clear a reason as I could imagine.

 

[PatsFan2]

He is way more talented than Nix. Imagine what Payton would do with Maye.

The Broncos must be kicking themselves for Trading Jerry Jeudy he's having a nice year with Cleveland.

Jerry Jeudy Career Stats - NFL - ESPN

Complete career NFL stats for Cleveland Browns Wide Receiver Jerry Jeudy on ESPN. Includes scoring, rushing, defensive and receiving stats.

www.espn.com

 

[Grogan14]

So in 2025 the prediction is Maye will be a top 3 qb?

Mahomes
Lamar Jackson
Herbert
Goff
Josh Allen
Joe Burrow
Daniels
Hurts
Mayfield
Kyler Murray
Stafford

Not in year 2 he won’t be
Until he wins some games, no matter what level of talent is around him its not right to project he will be top 3

 

[Wozzy]

Maye could become a top five QB like Justin Herbert, if the team around him sucks it won’t matter.

 

[NFL Mystique]

@Sam Bam Cunningham I agree completely. Maye won't be a top three QB in 2025. Luckily, the Patriots do not need him to be. He needs to be a top three QB by 2027 when (ideally) the Patriots are legit SB contenders. Tom Brady was not a top three QB until about 2004 or so.

 

[NFL Mystique]

Having an elite QB isn't enough to win a SB. You need top coaching and a supporting cast. Otherwise, you become the new Chargers (until recently), Stafford Lions and Bengals.

 

[sb1]

Maye could become a top five QB like Justin Herbert, if the team around him sucks it won’t matter.

Obviously it's Mac Jones fault if the team around him sucks

 

[sb1]

So in 2025 the prediction is Maye will be a top 3 qb?

Mahomes
Lamar Jackson
Herbert
Goff
Josh Allen
Joe Burrow
Daniels
Hurts
Mayfield
Kyler Murray
Stafford

Not in year 2 he won’t be
Until he wins some games, no matter what level of talent is around him its not right to project he will be top 3

Agreed. Top 10 very optimistically, top half is more realistic. Doable.

 

[PatsFan2]

So in 2025 the prediction is Maye will be a top 3 qb?

Mahomes
Lamar Jackson
Herbert
Goff
Josh Allen
Joe Burrow
Daniels
Hurts
Mayfield
Kyler Murray
Stafford

Not in year 2 he won’t be
Until he wins some games, no matter what level of talent is around him its not right to project he will be top 3

You have Matthew Stafford too far down the list. Also I would put Allen - Burrow two/three.

 

[PatsFan2]

@Sam Bam Cunningham I agree completely. Maye won't be a top three QB in 2025. Luckily, the Patriots do not need him to be. He needs to be a top three QB by 2027 when (ideally) the Patriots are legit SB contenders. Tom Brady was not a top three QB until about 2004 or so.

Really?? Teams can turn it around in a year with a good Draft and FA. We have the most critical part already the QB: now we need some other pieces on O and D. I picture you changing your name to MayetoHiggins.

 

[Patriot Missile]

I've watched Nix's last 2 starts and a few earlier in the year. I watch almost all the rookie QB games to compare to Maye.
He's better than earlier in the year. Hard to say he's impressive. He throws mostly to wide open guys with all the time in the world. He has the #1 pass blocking line in the NFL. Plus a defense that gets him the ball.

I actually was playing a game of "could I make that throw" last game. I played QB way back in the day in Pop Warner football so that's my level LOL.
I would have completed 24 of his 28 completed passes with 2 others I had an outside shot at and 2 I would not have. I'm not kidding either. I really can't think of a starting QB that would have done much different than Nix did. He makes the plays he should, which he was not doing earlier in the year.
Many would say you can't knock him for making easy throws, I agree but you can't say he's any good until he has to regularly make non-easy throws. Any QB can make 1 or 2 tight throws but when you get to playoffs, the windows tighten more, ask Lamar Jackson.
Playing good against top defenses separates the QB's from being just another NFL starter vs good, great and elite.

Top 10 defenses for net yards per pass attempt:

Eagles, Texans, Broncos, Titans, Chargers, Jets, 49ers, Bills, Vikings, Giants

Bo Nix has played 2: Chargers, 19/33 57.57% with a pick and Jets: 12/25 68 yds 48%
Against good pass defense he's been putrid but small sample size.

Add the Steelers who have the second-best success rate on pass defense and he was 20/35 with 2 picks.

His only remaining game against top pass defense is the Chargers again, let's see how that goes.
I seriously think Mac Jones could do what he's been asked to do minus the moibility

Was a fan of Nix last year at Oregon. Not nearly as much as Maye or Daniels but you could see the potential and I think I compared him to Purdy in one of my posts. Seems to be on par but wasn’t expecting the transition so quickly. Payton has done a good job with him no doubt and I think Nix has done well with the receivers he has. The one thing that stuck out about Nix at Oregon was his back shoulder throws which I thought would be a plus in the NFL. Even for a lot of NFL qbs that’s a tough throw to master and do consistently. He is pretty good at it. I also mentioned ideal team fit would be important for both Nix and Penix. Was unsure of his ability to get to the 2nd and 3rd reads but he seems to be doing fine at it.

Don’t think he’ll ever be a super star but it looks like he has a good situation and the ability to go deep in the payoffs for years to come as long as he keeps improving and continue building around him.

 

[Dec54]

Was a fan of Nix last year at Oregon. Not nearly as much as Maye or Daniels but you could see the potential and I think I compared him to Purdy in one of my posts. Seems to be on par but wasn’t expecting the transition so quickly. Payton has done a good job with him no doubt and I think Nix has done well with the receivers he has. The one thing that stuck out about Nix at Oregon was his back shoulder throws which I thought would be a plus in the NFL. Even for a lot of NFL qbs that’s a tough throw to master and do consistently. He is pretty good at it. I also mentioned ideal team fit would be important for both Nix and Penix. Was unsure of his ability to get to the 2nd and 3rd reads but he seems to be doing fine at it.

Don’t think he’ll ever be a super star but it looks like he has a good situation and the ability to go deep in the payoffs for years to come as long as he keeps improving and continue building around him.

I really liked Nix coming into the draft and thought it would be good to trade down from spot 3. Get OT and then draft Nix. But must say now that I'm pleased we didn't. I think Nix will always be good, but I also think Maye could be great.

 

[KCSVEN]

So in 2025 the prediction is Maye will be a top 3 qb?

Mahomes
Lamar Jackson
Herbert
Goff
Josh Allen
Joe Burrow
Daniels
Hurts
Mayfield
Kyler Murray
Stafford

Not in year 2 he won’t be
Until he wins some games, no matter what level of talent is around him its not right to project he will be top 3

I think there is a difference between stats and watching games casually and deep diving into tape to see what the QB's are actually doing on the field. You can't compare QB stats or wins and losses because 1 guy carrying a pop warner team to mlose every game but be competitive is better than a guy playing well and winning on the best team.
You need to watch every throw in Mutiple games, grade the difficulty, grade the decision making. When you do that the hierarchy changes and you also see why Brady said the QB play is not good these days overall and many QB's are carried by the OC, Brady is correct. You should judge the QB on what they do on the field in great detail, not based on their situation and supporting cast.

Herbert, Allen, Stafford. Elite on tape and stats.

Pretty much a crap shoot after that. Mahomes has his history but have you watched him play THIS year? 12th in yards and 19th in Passer Rating for a reason. He seems to get a huge pass on how he's actually playing because of the team wins and past history. He wasn't so great overall last year either. Ever since Kelce has dropped off so has Mahomes. However, he timed his lesser play with the defense becoming elite.

I would never take Jackson or Burrow in a playoff game, Jackson is terrible in playoffs and that's where you separate regular season stat padders from great QB's.
Burrow has more picks than TD drives in the 4th quarter of playoff games That's TD drives not passes, which he has none. He's a good QB in a great situation that's highly overrated. The guy that was outplayed last year by Jake Browning with the same exact team. Jake freaking Browning!

Hurtz, Daniels, Goff? LOL Maye is better than those 3 today, never mind next year. Look at Goff pre and post Ben Johnson and the fact they have weapons everywhere, he's not great.

Kyler Murray-Good player having his best year but great player? I have doubts 1 year playing at a high level is sustainable but he's in the discussion based on this year. Still some issues on tape that he's always had but minimized this year and his athleticism is off the charts despite his small stature.

Mayfield-playing great this year and carrying a bad team, he's in the conversation.

I stick by it that Maye be talked about as top 3 after next season if they add any talent around him.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

I think there is a difference between stats and watching games casually and deep diving into tape to see what the QB's are actually doing on the field. You can't compare QB stats or wins and losses because 1 guy carrying a pop warner team to mlose every game but be competitive is better than a guy playing well and winning on the best team.

Nuance.

Put Doug Flutie in the position his star peers were in the 90's, he's the undisputed best of that decade. Conversely, put Aikman, Young, Elway or Kelly on the '88 Pats or '99 Bills or in the CFL and you see just how inferior they were.

I would never take Jackson or Burrow in a playoff game, Jackson is terrible in playoffs and that's where you separate regular season stat padders from great QB's.

Simply put: Dropping Lamar back to pass 40+ times is fatal. All you have to do is let he and his backs run the ball, which is what they did to get there, and you win. This is a trap that coaches fall into often. Perkins and Parcells were clearly mesmerized by Bledsoe's passing which in large part got them to the playoffs and Super Bowl. But like most quarterbacks Drew has his ceiling. It wasn't until the following season, for example, that Elway won when the Broncos beat the Packers running the ball.

I stick by it that Maye be talked about as top 3 after next season if they add any talent around him.

What separates the top quarterbacks, what was clear from the start with Brady and so far with Maye?

Attitude.

Then, actions and behavior on the field, in the moment, under fire, when it counts.

Maye has demonstrated the ability to make plays. Good plays. Even under duress, under less than favorable or optimum circumstances, and after having plays go wrong and even making bad plays or poor decisions himself.

And he's not afraid to get picked.

Wait, that's a good thing? Yes. The best clutch quarterbacks: Layne, Namath (yes, Joe Namath, those who saw him play know), Plunkett, Grogan all threw more career picks than TD's.

 

[archstanton543]

Wait, that's a good thing? Yes. The best clutch quarterbacks: Layne, Namath (yes, Joe Namath, those who saw him play know), Plunkett, Grogan all threw more career picks than TD's.

Like 40 years ago, sure. The game has changed a lot since then.

 

[Actual Pats Fan]

Like 40 years ago, sure. The game has changed a lot since then.

True, but not entirely, and arguably, not fundamentally. It remains a largely quarterback-driven game. You don't need the most prolific guy or the prettiest passer, but you need the right guy.

Bradshaw, for example, went through a lot of sh*t in Pittsburgh before they started winning titles. He even wanted out. But he had to stay, and he utilized his experience and operated in the context of a team scheme to win.

Tom Brady racked up a lot of fancy stats, especially from 2007 onward, but those are not the primary factor at all in his greatness.

My point is Maye can throw as many picks as he wants as far as I'm concerned, as long as it leads to titles.