Drake Maye — Week 2: Sixty-Three Yards From His Own Eight
2026 NFL Season · Half-PPR Scoring · Monday, Sep 21
Maye completed 14 of 22 throws for 208 yards with no touchdowns, one interception and three sacks, and hit three of four throws of 20 or more air yards for 122 yards, including a 63-yarder to Romeo Doubs from the New England 8. In Week 1 he was 0 for 4 on those throws with two intercepted. New England beat the Steelers 20–3.
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10 to three, Patriots, two 12 left in the third quarter, first and 10 at the New England eight. Drake Maye threw deep right to Romeo Doubs, 47 yards in the air, 63 gained, Doubs pushed out at the Pittsburgh 29. +4.0 expected points added — expected points added is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position — and +7.9 points of win probability, the chance of winning the game after the play against before it. It was the longest play of the game by either team. In Week 1 Maye threw four passes that traveled 20 or more yards in the air: none complete, two intercepted. Sunday he threw four more: three complete for a hundred 22 yards, one intercepted.
The line: 14 completions on 22 throws, 208 yards, no touchdowns, one interception, three sacks. His 25 pass plays came out at −5.3 expected points, and that figure includes a three-yard completion that Rhamondre Stevenson fumbled away, −4.2 by itself. The four deep throws: 30 yards to Eli Raridon down to the Pittsburgh six on second and four late in the first quarter; 29 to Doubs on third and five with 13 43 left in the third; the interception on the very next snap, first and 10 at the Pittsburgh 33, deep left for Hunter Henry, Patrick Queen at the 10; and the 63. Together they were worth +5.0. Before halftime he was seven of nine for 89 yards with all three sacks; after it, seven of 13 for a hundred 19. Two of the sacks came on the same series inside the Pittsburgh 15 and turned first and goal at the six into a 30-yard field goal; the third was 12 yards, by T.J. Watt, with a minute 48 left in the half. On third down: seven pass plays, six throws, three completions, two conversions — the 29 to Doubs and 10 to Kyle Williams on third and six. He scrambled twice for 20 yards, worth +1.8 between them, 13 on second and 12 in the fourth quarter, and knelt twice.
The 22 throws went five to Henry, four to Doubs, two each to DeMario Douglas, Stevenson, Reggie Gilliam, Mack Hollins and Williams, one each to Raridon and Efton Chism, and one with no listed receiver. A.J. Brown is on injured reserve with a high ankle sprain, per Nick Shook at NFL.com. The offense produced 13 of the 20 points — a touchdown run, two field goals, and a miss from 47; the other touchdown was the defense's.
Back in June the preview called Maye the most efficient passer in football last season — first in completion percentage over expected and in adjusted net yards per attempt, second among quarterbacks in scoring — with Brown as the piece that raised the ceiling. Week 1 was three fourth-quarter interceptions, nothing completed deep, and legs that were worth more than the arm gave back. Sunday the deep ball came back without Brown on the field, and the legs were a footnote. Two games: 37 of 55, 386 yards, one touchdown, four interceptions — against eight interceptions all of last season. One good week deep does not erase that count, and two games do not make it a trend. New England is at the Jaguars on Sunday the 20-seventh.
_Data via nflverse._
When Drake Maye's week moves the numbers, you'll know — every episode, in one weekly email.
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