Inside the numbers: Drake Maye continues to shine for Patriots in Week 6

Buffalo Bills defensive tackle Daquan Jones tries to sack New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye but May was able to get throw the ball for a completion during second half action at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park on Oct. 5, 2025.

The Patriots dramatically improved for the third consecutive week in key categories, propelling them to a 25-19 win over the New Orleans Saints. Here is a breakdown of how those areas have developed ahead of head coach Mike Vrabel's return game at the Tennessee Titans on Sunday.

— Drake Maye has continued to elevate his play for the Patriots during his sophomore campaign, completing 18 of 26 passes for 261 yards with three touchdown passes. It was Maye’s third consecutive game and fourth overall without an interception, improving the Patriots to a 4-0 mark when Maye does not throw a pick.

Many major statistics across the NFL have Maye at or near the top of the respective lists. His 73.2 completion percentage is second-best in the league, and his 8.5 completion percentage over expected is only behind Sam Darnold’s 9.4%. Maye has done all of this with 10 passing touchdowns and only two interceptions in 2025.

— Running the football has worsened for the Patriots through six weeks, increasingly concerning now that they are without running back Antonio Gibson for the season due to an ACL injury. Their offense has accumulated only 91.5 yards per game — the seventh fewest in the NFL — and 13 rushes that were 10 yards or more, tied for fifth fewest in the league.

The struggles on the ground increase the significance of Maye’s passing production, as the second-year signal caller cannot use his rushing attack to help set up play-action passes. Maye leads the Patriots with 2.9 yards after contact for players who have played at least 23 snaps this season. Rhamondre Stevenson’s 2.6 yards after contact is 44th among eligible rushers, while rookie TreVeyon Henderson’s 2.4 yards ranks 49th. Stevenson has improved his fumbling issue, keeping the ball off the ground in New Orleans.

— New England’s pass rush has remained average-to-below-average through six games, failing to generate the necessary push to create issues for its opponents. It is averaging 2.2 sacks per game, tied for 18th in the NFL. PFF graded its pass rush with a 70.5 mark on 113 total pressures, yielding it the 12th lowest mark among the 32 franchises. The Patriots have also given up 239.0 passing yards per game, ranking eighth-most in the NFL.

There are currently top-end pass rushers on the trading block, which could be a method for the Patriots to immediately improve their edge rushing. Trey Hendrickson headlines the list of potential suitors for the team.