New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye ignored the "MVP" chants from Foxborough fans, which rained down during Sunday's 32-13 blowout win over the Cleveland Browns.
"No, I didn't hear it. The guys were making fun of me about my slide back in the huddle on the long run, so I didn't hear it," Maye said of the cheers, via Boston.com. "But the fans have been awesome all season. It's been really cool really to see the difference from last year to this year. Man, it's been a journey.
"They've been through it, and the fans have been through it the last couple years. So it's just credit to them. ... I know the fans have been awesome. Like I said, I think they're the best fans in the league, and they continue to show out every week."
Maye's play in recent weeks has thrust his name into the MVP conversation. There were wobbly moments against the NFL's No. 3 scoring defense, with Myles Garrett earning five sacks, but the second-year signal-caller was flawless in the second half as the Pats ran away from a good Browns defense.
In the second half, Maye completed all eight of his passes for 114 yards and three touchdowns with zero interceptions for a 158.3 passer rating. For the game, he went 18 of 24 (75%) for 282 yards, three TDs and an INT for a 135.8 passer rating.
The second-year QB has been efficient, extremely accurate and splashed in big plays. His third-quarter 39-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte was picture-perfect. Maye couldn't have walked downfield and handed the ball to a wideout any better.
"I mean, y'all see what I see," Boutte said of Maye's MVP candidacy. "We all see. If you look around the league at the other guys, too. I mean, they're doing great stuff, too.
"But I mean, I think Drake's doing everything they're doing. [There's] not [anything] that he's not doing. I think at the end of the day, we're just playing football. We're having fun with it, too. Just supporting my guys."
Maye has 200-plus passing yards and a 100-plus passer rating in seven straight games, tied for the longest such streak in NFL history by any QB 23 years old or younger (Patrick Mahomes in 2018; Dan Marino is third with six in 1984). Every QB with such a streak of seven-plus games within a season went on to win the MVP award, per NFL Research:
MVPs with consecutive 200-yard passing, 100-plus passer rating games in a season
- Aaron Rodgers, 2011 (12 games)
- Rodgers, 2020 (8 games)
- Tom Brady, 2007 (8 games)
- Peyton Manning, 2004 (8 games)
- Patrick Mahomes, 2018 (7 games)
Maye has five games this season with 200+ pass yards and a 135+ passer rating. No other player has ever had more than three such games in his team's first eight games of a season (and no other player has more than two such games in 2025). Tony Romo (six in 2014) is the only player with more such games in an entire season.
Maye's gorgeous deep ball is ripe for MVP highlight reels. Through eight games, Maye has more passing TDs (5) than incompletions (4) on deep passes (20-plus air yards), per Next Gen Stats. On Sunday, he went 2-of-3 for 83 yards and a TD on deep passes.
"I think it feels good to be back at home -- scoring a touchdown, throwing the ball, and then the MVP chants. I was joking with him last week about MVP, too," Boutte said. "He doesn't like to hear it. But, man, I think it's the truth."
The Pats have scored 23-plus points and allowed 20 or fewer in all five games of their winning streak.
