Falcons opponent: A quick look at Drake Maye and the hot New England Patriots
FLOWERY BRANCH — The New England Patriots are perhaps the hottest team in the NFL.
With the spectacular play of second-year quarterback Drake Maye, the Patriots (6-2) have won five consecutive games and are set to host the Falcons (3-4) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
The Falcons looked past the Dolphins and were pummeled 34-10. The Patriots have their full attention.
“Yeah, coming up on the best time in life, right?” Falcons coach Raheem Morris said. “You need them when you’re down. Go out there and try to get a big-time win versus these guys who play at a very high level.”
The Patriots are playing under first-year coach Mike Vrabel, who was a consultant with the Browns last season after being fired by the Titans. He was the Titans head coach from 2018-23.
“They’re well coached and do a lot of really good things,” Morris said. “So, a lot of fun for our guys, a great opportunity for our guys to have (an opportunity to) bounce back.”
Maye, who played at North Carolina, was taken third overall in the 2024 NFL draft. He was selected after Caleb Williams (Chicago) and Jayden Daniels (Washington). The Falcons selected quarterback Michael Penix Jr. five picks later.
“He’s a very good football player,” Morris said. “He’s doing a great job. He’s being well coached by (offensive coordinator) Josh (McDaniels). They got it going on, and I like what they’re doing.”
Maye was selected as a Pro Bowl replacement for Lamar Jackson after his rookie season.
He has completed 176 of 226 passes (75.2%) for 2,026 yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions. He has a passer rating of 118.7. His completion percentage and passer rating are tops in the NFL.
Maye also is the Patriots’ second leading rusher. He has 51 carries for 250 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson is their top rusher, with 279 yards on 83 carries and three touchdowns. They also have TreVeyon Henderson, who was drafted in the second round of the 2025 draft. He has 228 yards rushing on 53 carries and a touchdown.
Maye has a nice pair of receivers in Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte. Diggs has 42 catches for 470 yards and a touchdown. Boutte has 23 catches for 431 yards and five touchdowns. Also, tight end Hunter Henry has 25 catches for 317 yards and four touchdown.
Former Falcons tight end Austin Hooper has carved out a role in the Patriots offense. He has 12 catches for 154 yards and a touchdown. He was drafted in the third round of the 2016 draft and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2018 and 2019.
The Patriots allowed 76 yards rushing per game, which ranks second in the league. Linebacker Robert Spillane leads the Patriots with 67 tackles. Outside linebacker Harold Landry, a one-time Pro Bowler, leads the Patriots with 5.5 sacks.
Cornerback Marcus Jones, who plays nickel back on more 68% of the defensive snaps and is the punt returner, signed a contract extension Tuesday.
Former Falcons draft pick Jaylinn Hawkins is the starting safety. He has 28 tackles, 1.5 sacks and two interceptions. He was drafted in the fourth round of the 2020 draft. He played in 44 games and made 22 starts for the Falcons before he was released during the 2023 season.
The Patriots’ defense is taking on the personality of their head coach, who was a three-time Super Bowl champion as a linebacker with the Steelers, Patriots and Chiefs.
“That’s a lot about character and what coach is (setting as the) infrastructure in our program,” Hawkins said to media members in the New England area after their win over the Browns on Sunday. “It starts with the head man and what he’s teaching us, our identity. That’s the biggest thing.”
This will be the 16th meeting. The Patriots lead the regular-season series 9-6. The Patriots won the only meeting in the postseason, Super Bowl 51, 34-28 in overtime.
The Patriots have won the past seven meetings (including SB 51). The Patriots won the last meeting 25-0 on Nov. 18, 2021. They also won the last meeting in Massachusetts, 23-7 on Oct. 22, 2017.
The Falcons have tended to play up to the perceived level of competition this season.
“You’ve got to go out there and you’ve got to play,” Morris said. “There’s a lot expected of us. There’s a lot expected of us that we put on ourselves. There’s a lot expected of us from everybody else. There’s a lot expected of us from this building. We’ll get those things right, and I’ve got a lot of confidence that we can.”
About the Author
Honored by the Pro Football Hall of Fame in recognition of his "long and distinguished reporting in the field of pro football," D. Orlando Ledbetter, Esq. has covered the NFL 28 seasons. A graduate of Howard University, he's a winner of Georgia Sportswriter of the Year and three Associated Press Sports Editor awards.
