Drake Maye — Week 7: 321 Yards, One Costly Throw

Drake Maye threw well enough to win against the Bears and made the throw that cost the most: 24 of 31 for 321 yards, two touchdowns and an interception, plus 4 runs for 26 yards and a touchdown. He was worth +13.7 expected points added (EPA) over 35 dropbacks, scrambles and two sacks included, +0.39 per dropback. EPA is what a play was worth given down, distance and field position. His completion percentage over expected (CPOE), how often he completed passes against what their difficulty predicted, was +15.3.

The costly one came down 13-7 with 3:32 left in the half. First and 10 at the Chicago 15: he threw deep right for Eli Raridon and D'Marco Jackson intercepted in the end zone, -5.3 EPA and -10.3 points of win probability. Chicago scored a touchdown on the next drive for 20-7. With 3 seconds left in the half, first and 10 at the Chicago 48, he threw short right to Rhamondre Stevenson, who took it 48 yards for the touchdown, +6.5 EPA. Down 27-14 late in the third, first and 15 at the Chicago 30, he went deep right to Raridon for a 30-yard touchdown, +3.5 EPA and +10.6 points of win probability.

His first touchdown came on his feet: second and 7 at the Chicago 7 in the second quarter, a scramble ruled short at the 1 until New England's challenge reversed it. On the opening drive Kyler Gordon sacked him on fourth and 5 at the Chicago 45.

The rate matched his +0.39 per dropback against the Jets in Week 6 and beat his +0.23 through Week 6, when he had +50.5 EPA on 215 dropbacks, and the CPOE was well above his +5.2. The 321 yards were his second-most this season, after 374 in Week 5. The interception was his first since Week 4, after 7 in his first four games.

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_Data via nflverse._