The Drake Maye hype has reached another level despite the New England Patriots' Week 15 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The prized rookie quarterback notched a touchdown through the air and on the ground in Sunday's 30-17 defeat. His passing TD came on an improvisational shovel pass to wide receiver DeMario Douglas.
A SHOVEL PASS TO POP!!@DrakeMaye2 | #ProBowlVote
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) December 15, 2024
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/0TRNczRN4T
After watching that impressive play, ex-Patriots QB Brian Hoyer sees why Maye continues to be compared to Buffalo Bills star signal-caller Josh Allen.
"I thought what was great here was his pocket awareness continues to grow," Hoyer said of Maye's shovel-pass TD on The Gameplan. "Right here, they run the left defensive end by. Drake feels it and he steps up, kind of similar to that long run he had against the Colts. But now you're in the red area, so now you have the ability to run it in, throw it in. ...
"The thing that I loved is even when he got out there in the clear, he didn't pull the ball down to run. He kept his eyes, and then this flick of the wrist we saw, I mean, this is Josh Allen-esque. This is why everybody's excited about this week. It's Josh who's established himself. It's a guy who the Patriots hope can be the future at that position and play a lot like that guy. To see that awareness that Douglas' defender is coming off and he just flicks it to him in the last second, I mean, it's a pretty impressive play for a young guy."
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Hoyer hopes to see the Patriots unleash Maye's skill set over the final three games of the 2024 season and beyond.
"That's not something you're doing at practice," Hoyer added. "That's his natural ability coming out when it needs to, and the vision to do it all, and the speed.
"I just think these are the plays that when you have a guy like this, give him more options like this. Maybe put him on the run, let him roll out. Let him do a little zone read, especially down here because it puts the defense in the bind. At the moment you come off of your receiver as a defender, all of a sudden he flicks it to him. Now you've got to defend the whole field as opposed to just covering the receivers."
Maye humbly addressed the Allen comparisons on Wednesday.
"I think I've got a long way to go," he said. "What a player he is, playing at an MVP level. I think the biggest thing is just the progression he's made. ...
"I think what he dealt with, whether coming out of college or his first years here, I feel like everybody was just kind of not giving him the credit he deserved. Now, you can see kind of the full fruition of what he's doing and the level he's playing at."
While Allen didn't discuss whether Maye reminds him of himself, he did heap praise on the 22-year-old.
"I think their quarterback is going to be really good for a really long time," Allen told reporters Wednesday. "He’s making some unbelievable plays, extending and from the pocket. I’ve got a lot of respect for him and his game."
Maye and Allen will face off for the first time this Sunday in Buffalo. Patriots vs. Bills is set for a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff at Highmark Stadium.
