Maye’s MVP Moment Almost Emerges in Patriots vs. Bills Game

For a brief moment on Sunday at Gillette Stadium, it seemed like Drake Maye might unexpectedly snag the MVP award.

With under ten minutes remaining in the game, the New England Patriots found themselves in a tough spot. They had initially surged to a 21-0 lead against the visiting Buffalo Bills and led 24-7 at halftime. But then, Josh Allen and his squad turned the tide, scoring 21 points in a row to take a 28-24 lead in the fourth quarter, leaving the stadium in stunned silence. Even Travis Scott, seated in the owner’s box, looked puzzled and whispered to Robert Kraft about the situation. Meanwhile, fans, despite the chill, were trying to retrieve AFC East Champions gear from their virtual carts.

Then, out of nowhere, Drake Maye sprang into action, demonstrating some impressive blocks, and the atmosphere started to shift back in New England’s favor.

On the very next play, a simple toss to the right initially appeared doomed. Rookie running back Treveyon Henderson seemed trapped behind the line, almost setting up for a second-and-long situation. However, Henderson managed to cut back and found a following lead blocker deep in Bills territory. That lead blocker? None other than Maye himself, sprinting downfield and hitting speeds over 20 mph. The result? A stunning 65-yard touchdown that put the Patriots back in the lead and prompted fans to reconsider their virtual cart items.

But the drama didn’t end there. The previous season’s MVP and the restructured Bills offense were poised to respond. Shortly after, Buffalo orchestrated a swift 65-yard touchdown drive in just seven plays, including two 12-yard completions and ending with James Cook’s 11-yard touchdown run.

The final score? Buffalo 35, New England 31.

In the days leading up to this AFC East clash, several themes emerged. One notable aspect was the transformation in Buffalo’s offense since their Week 5 encounter. The last time these two teams played, the Patriots had edged out a three-point victory, during which only 11 of Allen’s 31 throws were within five yards of the line of scrimmage. It’s interesting to consider how that has evolved.

So, now let’s shift gears. This season, Buffalo’s air attack has morphed quite a bit. Playing catch-up through victories against the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals, their passing game took on a horizontal approach, prominently featuring running backs and tight ends. In fact, during the two wins leading up to this game, a striking 63.4% of Allen’s pass attempts were directed within five yards of the line.

Now, looking at his performance on Sunday against the Patriots, out of 28 pass attempts, 16 were within five yards—or even further behind the line on a couple of occasions. That’s… um, roughly 57.1% of his throws.

Again, this is notably different from what New England faced in Week 5. Two of Allen’s three touchdown passes were made on throws within five yards. The first was a well-executed play against man coverage, connecting with running back James Cook out of the backfield.

The second was another smart move low in the red zone, where Allen faked a run and found tight end Dawson Knox, closing the gap to just 10 points.

As for the third touchdown, it came on a 3rd-and-14 play early in the fourth quarter. While there were five vertical routes on that attempt, Allen aimed for Knox once more.

And, okay, I’ll get back to that shortly.

After all, there were 26 passes directed toward receivers during the game. Of those, 15 connected with running backs or wide receivers.

It’s worth noting that it’s not only about the destination of the throws but also the creative presentations within the passing game. In the initial five weeks of the season, statistical data indicated that Allen ranked eighth in the NFL for pass attempts incorporating play-action.

However, starting from Week 6, he surged to fourth place in that category.

This introduces yet another facet of the Bills’ offense—their rushing capabilities. In the first half of Sunday’s match, Buffalo’s rushing yards totaled just 53. By the end, though, they accumulated 168 yards on 37 attempts, averaging 4.5 yards per carry. This season, they ranked second in the NFL for yards per attempt (5.0) and first in yards per game (158.5).

As the second half drew to a close, Cook and the Bills’ ground attack kept gaining significant yardage against a New England defense that seemed fatigued after being on the field for much of the half.

Finally, let’s talk about personnel. Buffalo experienced notable success utilizing three tight ends. The Los Angeles Rams happen to lead in this area with the highest number of plays from 13 personnel. While the Bills have not utilized this package as frequently, they’ve still recorded 42 plays with impressive success metrics.

And beyond the numbers, the Bills still have their quarterback who can deliver remarkable throws. That touchdown pass to Knox was a real gem.

To sum it up, if you’re Joe Brady, having that caliber of quarterback is a considerable asset. In situations where it’s crucial, leveraging your quarterback’s running skills alongside his passing ability can be a game changer.

When you assemble all the components, it’s clear that this Bills offense can pose significant threats at critical moments. And given the current landscape of the AFC, this is a team that looks poised for a deep playoff run.