The New England Patriots currently sit atop the AFC with an 11-2 record. In Week 13, they defeated the New York Giants in a dominating fashion, winning 33-15. New England’s quick rise this season can be attributed to both new head coach Mike Vrabel and Drake Maye. The second-year quarterback has played at an elite level all season.
After yet another amazing performance on Monday night, Maye earned some recognition from the NFL.
Drake Maye Named as an AFC Offensive Player of the Week
According to Ari Meirov, the NFL named Maye as the AFC’s Offensive Player of the Week in Week 13.
Maye certainly deserved this accolade after the performance he put together against the Giants.
On Monday night, Maye completed 77.4% of his passes (24 of 31) for 282 yards and two touchdowns.
NFL Players of the Week — Week 13:
AFC:
O: Patriots QB Drake Maye
D: Bills CB Christian Benford
ST: Bengals K Evan McPhersonNFC:
O: Packers QB Jordan Love
D: Seahawks LB Ernest Jones
ST: Bucs P Riley Dixon— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) December 3, 2025
That outing earned him the fourth spot on PFSN’s weekly QB rankings with an impact score of 80.4. This is the fifth time in 2025 that Maye has been a top-five quarterback for the week according to PFSN’s QB impact metric.
MORE: Patriots Legend Tom Brady Makes Feelings Clear on New England’s Dominant 11-2 Record
The second-year quarterback earned his Offensive Player of the Week award by throwing two beautiful touchdown passes. Maye’s first touchdown pass came on a three-yard goalline fade to Kayshon Boutte. He put a perfect touch on the ball and placed it only in a spot where Boutte could get it.
Multiple times this season, I have said, “I did not know Kayshon Boutte could do that.”
Add another one to the list.
— Michael Hurley (@michaelFhurley) December 2, 2025
Maye’s second touchdown pass was even more impressive. On that play, he found rookie Kyle Williams 33 yards down the field and dropped it right in the bucket for him to make the touchdown grab. Yet again, the ball couldn’t have been placed any better.
#Patriots QB Drake Maye on if this throw to Kyle Williams is one of his best:
“I probably think it’s one of the best catches I’ve seen. I think the catch is better than the throw. I probably made it tougher on him than it needed to be. He beat him off the line. I think the catch… pic.twitter.com/67CyjQmQLI
— New England Sports Fellow (@_JosephManning) December 3, 2025
The growth Maye has shown this season is very impressive. Although he showed flashes of what he could do as a rookie, the coaching staff was unable to put him in the best positions in their one season in New England.
Vrabel, on he other hand, has been able to help develop Maye even though their offense lacks household names. The second-year quarterback’s poise and ability to read defenses have made New England’s offense much more consistent, and Week 13 was just another example of that growth.
Maye being named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week is just the first step toward full recognition across the NFL. With an 11-2 record, the Patriots likely have their sights set on the AFC’s No. 1 seed and a Super Bowl run. If Maye continues to play at this level, he could emerge as one of the league’s elite quarterbacks, carrying New England deep into the postseason.
