Drake Maye received more “MVP” chants from New England Patriots fans as he lead the team to an eighth consecutive win on Thursday night, and he had a great response to the praise.
Maye finished 25/34 for 281 yards and a touchdown in the Patriots’ 27-14 Week 11 win over the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Mass. The second-year quarterback made several more eye-popping throws throughout the night and did not turn the ball over.
Patriots fans chanted “MVP!” when Maye was introduced and then at various points during and after the game. When asked about the chants in his postgame press conference, Maye deflected the attention to TreVeyeon Henderson. Maye said the rookie running back was the MVP on Thursday night.
“I think it was a big time for him stepping up, and it’s been great for him to get all these reps, to keep getting these reps,” Maye said, via Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. “He wants to be great. He’s just showing up every day and asking questions. … I think just continuing for him to keep going the oncoming weeks and know that him and (Rhamondre Stevenson) and our backs, we can create a good one-two thing going. Looking forward to have (Stevenson) back, but TreVeyon stepped up huge.”
Stevenson has been out with a toe injury, and Henderson has stepped up over the past two weeks. The former Ohio State star exploded for two long touchdown runs in New England’s 28-23 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. He pulled a genius move on the second score.
Henderson picked up right where he left off on Thursday with 93 yards from scrimmage and 3 touchdowns.
Maye is the favorite at most major sportsbooks to be named NFL MVP. He now has 2,836 yards, 20 touchdowns and just 5 interceptions through 11 games. Maye has the Patriots looking like a legitimate Super Bowl contender, though his teammates probably respect the modesty.
