Here’s what impresses Josh McDaniels the most about Drake Maye

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Here’s what impresses Josh McDaniels the most about Drake Maye

Mark Daniels · MassLive

Thu, Jan 1, 2026 ·

2 min read

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FOXBOROUGH – There’s a lot to be impressed with when it comes to Drake Maye .

The Patriots quarterback is No. 1 in the NFL in passer rating (112.9) and completion percentage (71.9). He’s tied for third in passing touchdowns (30) and fourth in passing yards (4,203). Maye has an elite blend of size and athleticism. His arm strength and accuracy on deep passes are also eye-opening.

That’s why he’s considered one of the favorites for the NFL’s MVP award. However, none of that is what most impresses Josh McDaniels . On Thursday, the Patriots ’ offensive coordinator was asked what he was most impressed with when it comes to Maye.

“What I’m most impressed and excited about is how much he grows from a good or bad experience,” McDaniels said. “When he has a good one, it reinforces the things that he’s doing right, and he continues to do those things the right way. When we get challenged with some adversity or make a mistake or experience something we haven’t before, he’s such a good learner and able to then implement that the next time those things come up and fix the problem or do something better than the time before. I don’t know what else you could ask from a player.”

McDaniels pointed out that in his second NFL season, Maye is still experiencing many things for the first time. This season, however, the quarterback hasn’t been a repeat offender when it comes to on-field mistakes and has seen a dip in turnover-worthy plays.

Last season, in 13 games, Maye threw 10 interceptions with an interception percentage of 3.0. This year, he’s thrown eight interceptions in 16 games with an interception percentage of 1.7.

Maye admitted that the team’s loss in Buffalo two weeks ago was a wake-up call. He ran for two touchdowns in that game, but finished with a season-low 155 passing yards to go with no touchdowns and an interception.

Over the last two games since then, Maye’s thrown for 636 yards with seven touchdowns and one interception. McDaniels noted that the young quarterback’s ability to learn throughout this season has been special.

“It would be great if we all could do that,” McDaniels said. “Some players take a little bit longer than others to digest a mistake and then learn from it and then utilize it. Boy, does he do that really well.”

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