Drake Maye Earns AFC Offensive Player of the Month

Maye’s award followed a strong four-game stretch in which he threw for 1,398 yards and 17 total touchdowns, completing 67.4% of his passes with a 122.2 passer rating. It is the first time the third-year quarterback has received the honor, and the first time a Patriots player has won it since Tom Brady in November 2017.

The recognition marks a sharp change from September, when New England went 1-2 and Maye had seven turnovers against one touchdown pass. In October, he helped the Patriots build momentum after their slow start following an appearance in Super Bowl LX last season.

Maye led the NFL over the five-week stretch in total yards, passing touchdowns, expected points added and passer rating. He also ran for 129 yards and two touchdowns during the October period. His top three receivers missed a combined six games because of injuries, and he distributed the ball among other players.

Maye said he tries not to focus on deliberately spreading the ball around, though he recalled wanting to get teammates involved in high school. Speaking about the team’s turnaround, he said that turnovers would not help New England win and that consistent work could pay off.

The Patriots entered November with a 5-3 record. Maye’s season totals stood at 1,983 passing yards and 15 touchdown passes, placing him sixth and tied for fifth in those categories, respectively.