Mike Vrabel’s ‘arts and crafts’ project became the perfect reward for Drake Maye’s historic game

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Mike Vrabel’s ‘arts and crafts’ project became the perfect reward for Drake Maye’s historic game

Karen Guregian · MassLive

Mon, Dec 29, 2025 ·

3 min read

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FOXBOROUGH - Drake Maye got his first game ball this season following the Patriots blowout win over the New York Jets Sunday.

Maye put together an historic performance, becoming the league’s first quarterback to ever have a 90 percent completion rate, 250 yards passing and five touchdowns in a single game.

He also is now the league’s first quarterback to have multiple games with a 90 percent completion rate, 200 yards passing and two touchdowns.

This wasn’t Maye’s first great game this season. He was worthy of a game ball after many other outings this season, but Patriots coach Mike Vrabel held out until Sunday, and in the words of the coach, the timing couldn’t have been better.

Before the game, Vrabel had taken the pains to create a more meaningful ball given the Patriots were shooting for a perfect road record.

He had patches for all the road wins taped to the ball. As it turns out, the Patriots not only finished unblemished on the road, but also managed to lock up the AFC East after Buffalo’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles .

“Just a pretty special performance. It’s no secret how I feel about Drake. That was a special game ball. That was one that I had constructed that had a lot of tape and paper and - I did arts & crafts on,” Vrabel said during his Monday press conference. “That was all our road wins on the ball that I taped on there...I put a lot of time and effort into that thing.”

Maye is largely responsible for the Patriots road record and 13-3 mark. He led the Patriots back from an 11-point fourth quarter deficit against the Baltimore Ravens the previous week.

“I’d said the night before, whoever was the player (of the game), they got this special game ball. So, it’s kind of fitting that Drake had the performance that he had,“ Vrabel said. ”There were a lot of other really good performances and a lot of guys that helped us contribute, but certainly the day that he had and what he’s done so far for us. So, we’ll need a lot of those efforts from him to continue. You guys know that, and I anticipate that to happen.”

The players thought Maye was also a fitting choice.

“Just watching Drake all season, and being able be out there with him the last few games, it’s been crazy to see his development, to see his jump from last year to this year,” left tackle Vederian Lowe said Monday. “I feel like each time he goes out there, he’s getting more confident ... if we give him the time and space he needs to make the right decision, he’s going to make it. He’s going to make the right throws, the right decision. He’s going to put us in the position we need to be in to be successful. I’m just so grateful I’m able to be out there with a great quarterback.”

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