Mike Vrabel’s MVP Pick: Drake Maye

Mike Vrabel believes Drake Maye deserves the MVP title for the 2025 NFL season, though it’s worth noting his perspective is a bit skewed since Maye is the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. Ahead of the Patriots’ first home playoff game since the Tom Brady era, Vrabel confidently asserted that Maye’s performance this season has been exceptional.

During a press conference earlier this week, Vrabel elaborated on an explosive play that showcased Maye’s skills. “He’s incredibly accurate and takes advantage of every passing chance. Our offense has significantly improved,” he noted, highlighting that explosive plays depend on a blend of scheme and player execution. “It’s about 30% strategy and 70% players making the plays,” he explained.

Vrabel continued, emphasizing Maye’s knack for extending plays. “He’s made pivotal first downs and scores when we need them. I see him consistently improving, and he’s not complacent. His development is impressive.”

The success of the team, according to Vrabel, is closely tied to Maye’s contributions.

Before diving deeper into Vrabel’s comments, it might help to check some statistics reflecting Maye’s impact this season. Defining explosive plays as passes and runs over 20 yards, you can see just how much the Patriots have progressed. Last year, they managed only nine runs of that distance, ranking 19th in the NFL.

This season, they have 16 such runs, placing them tied for third with the Buffalo Bills, trailing only the Ravens and Seahawks.

In the passing game, the contrast is even clearer. The Patriots completed 34 passing plays of 20 yards or more last year, which tied them for last in the league. This season, they’ve dramatically increased that to 69, ranking just behind Matthew Stafford and the Rams.

Vrabel’s praise indicates that Maye’s performances are why he is considered a strong candidate for the MVP title. Analyzing those 69 successful passes reveals how instrumental Maye has been in lifting the Patriots’ offensive output significantly this year.

For instance, in a match against the Atlanta Falcons during Week 9, Maye connected with Demario Douglas on a deep route, perfectly allowing Douglas to maintain his momentum and evade defenders. This play ultimately transformed a 29-yard completion into a 58-yard gain.

It’s interesting to realize that explosive plays don’t always come from the quarterback launching deep passes. As Vrabel said, accuracy and timing sometimes dictate success. In another match against the Bills, Maye executed a quick throw to Stefon Diggs, allowing him to advance effectively after the catch.

You often hear that yards after catch (YAC) can reflect a quarterback’s performance. When a simple six-yard throw results in a 30-yard gain, the quarterback has done his job well.

Vrabel reiterated Maye’s accuracy, particularly in downfield passes. His efficiency can be quantified through some metrics, such as completion percentage over expected and expected points added.

Maye has been nearly flawless this season, averaging 9.2 air yards per attempt, just behind Marcus Mariota and Stafford. His completion rate for downfield passes, defined as those traveling over 10 air yards, stands at an impressive 61.2%, the highest in the NFL this year. This performance marks him as one of the best since 2016.

This season, Maye’s adjusted completion percentage on throws over 20 air yards stands at 56.5%, which ranks fourth in the NFL. He holds an outstanding passer rating of 132.7 on those attempts, throwing nine touchdowns against a single interception.

This precision is apparent in specific moments, like the touchdown throw to Kayshon Boots in Week 8 or a crucial connection with Kyle Williams against the Ravens when the game was on the line.

Moreover, Maye’s ability to extend plays adds another dimension to his game. In their Week 2 matchup against the Dolphins, for example, he adeptly escaped pressure and made a significant throw to Rhamondre Stevenson, gaining 55 yards.

In a recent game against the Dolphins, Maye again demonstrated his prowess by escaping a collapsing pocket and finding Diggs for a substantial gain.

This weekend, he faces a considerable challenge against the Los Angeles Chargers, who present a different kind of test. The Chargers have struggled downfield, completing only 40.7% of their long throws this season, ranking among the lowest in the league while also recording several interceptions.

Defensively, the Chargers have only allowed 37 passes of 20 yards or more this year, making it one of the best records in the NFL.

Vrabel’s bold prediction about Maye being the MVP certainly raises expectations. If he keeps producing explosive plays against such a formidable defense, it could mean great things for New England’s future.