If you couldn't believe the New England Patriots were the “real deal” this NFL season, their dominant Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns should be every indication that the 6-2 franchise means business once again. They managed to hang 32 points on one of the NFL's best defensive units as quarterback Drake Maye led the way with three touchdowns. Despite a historic day from Browns' DE Myles Garrett, Maye and the Patriots flourished once again behind the leadership of first-year coach Mike Vrabel.

Thanks to the performance, Drake Maye has officially moved himself into the MVP conversation, a bold prediction from earlier in the season finally coming to fruition as the young starter grows before our eyes. Hearing “MVP” chants from the New England crowd at the conclusion of their Week 8 win, Drake Maye could be the favorite to win the award if he can keep this pace for the rest of the season.

Drake Maye makes his case for MVP

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) reacts to the win after the game against the Cleveland Browns
© Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Prior to his Week 8 win over the Cleveland Browns, sportsbooks were billing Drake Maye with the fourth-best odds (+850) to win MVP behind names like Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, and Baker Mayfield. Following his 282 passing yards, 75% completion percentage, and three touchdowns, Maye moves into third place at +500, trailing only Bills' Josh Allen and Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes.

While Mahomes and Allen, both in their prime, will be tough to overcome given their statuses, Drake Maye currently ranks fourth league-wide in passing yards (2,026) and QBR (76.2). We also can't forget that he has the fourth-most rushing yards among quarterbacks (250) and has rushed for two touchdowns this year. He's accounted for 17 of the Patriots' 22 total touchdowns this season, making him undeniably valuable to his team.

We also can't discredit the fact that Drake Maye has his team atop the AFC East division at 6-2, currently leading Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills. While we've seen this division flip in Buffalo's favor over the last few years, New England could be returning to their dominant form sooner after the Belichick era that many had anticipated. This must also be credited to the new culture instilled by Mike Vrabel.

Maye and Patriots overshadow Garrett's historic day

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Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett had a historic game against the Patriots in his own right. Breaking his own personal record for sacks in a game and the Browns' franchise record (set by himself), Garrett became just the ninth player to record 5.0 sacks in a single game since they became a stat in 1982. However, he became the first player to simultaneously lose that game by more than three points, putting an overall sour ending on what would have been a great upset.

Despite the outstanding individual performance, Drake Maye and the Patriots' offense still managed to record 422 total yards of offense (245 passing, 177 rushing) against one of the better defenses in the NFL. Remember, the Browns rank first in the league in fewest total yards per game (256.1). Their passing defense is third (173.7 yds/g) and their rushing defense ranks fourth (82.4 yds/g), but the Patriots managed to shatter these averages with their dual-threat attack.

Rest of season outlook


Of their nine remaining Regular Season games, the New England Patriots will face just two teams (Tampa Bay, Buffalo) who currently hold winning records. They face the 1-7 New York Jets for two of those remaining games and they'll close the season against the 2-6 Miami Dolphins. Their matchups against the Falcons, Bengals, Giants, and Ravens are all very winnable and should see the Patriots as betting favorites in those. They've already beaten the Buffalo Bills once this season, so there's a serious chance the Patriots could win-out the rest of this schedule.

While unlikely they end the season at 15-2, the New England Patriots have a serious chance to win the AFC East for the first time since 2019 when Tom Brady was their quarterback. Since his departure, it's been Buffalo's division to lose with four consecutive divisional titles. This year could be tougher for the Bills, however, as they still have to face the Buccaneers, Chiefs, and Eagles before the regular season is over.

So, if the Patriots could steal the AFC East, we'd be hard-pressed to find a better MVP candidate opposite of Patrick Mahomes if second-year starter Drake Maye can continue this type of outstanding play.