What We Have Learned from Two Weeks of Patriots Football
Two Sundays have passed, and the New England Patriots have survived their first two weeks of the NFL season without any big casualties. Sure, it would have been nice to beat the Raiders, but yesterday’s bounce-back against Miami in Miami was a sight for sore eyes. Overall, my spirits are high moving into the meat of the season.
There’s plenty to break down about the team’s performance so far, so let's break down some of the things we’ve learned from weeks one and two.
Drake Maye is the Franchise
It’s finally happened. In the six seasons since Brady left, the Patriots have searched for their next franchise quarterback. After the start of this season, I can confidently say that Drake Maye is the quarterback of the future.
After week one, many fans were calling him the next Mac Jones. They foolishly compared his performance (287 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) to that of 2nd-year Jones, a vast overreaction. In reality, Drake looked pretty good in that game, but the Pats couldn’t do anything on the ground, and drives stalled early. This week, the team put it all together on the field, with Drake having his best game as a Patriot. Maye tied his career best completion percentage and had three total touchdowns in a huge divisional win (ESPN).
Against Miami, Maye showed his potential to be one of the best signal-callers in the league. The team gave him a better O-line plus weapons, and Drake lived up to all the expectations.
Rhamondre Stevenson has Still Got It.
Going into this season, I predicted a Rhamondre Stevenson resurgence in my Patriots Running Back Room Article. I thought that the addition of TreVeyon Henderson would add nuance to the backfield, allowing Rhamondre to be more efficient. What I didn’t expect, however, was for Rhamondre to become the main and a more productive receiving back.
Don’t get me wrong, ‘Mondre has always hauled in plenty of screens. However, yesterday was a big surprise as he had 88 receiving yards, which is a career-best. He also went for 54 yards on 11 carries and looked every bit of a starting-caliber running back. If he can stay at this level, it opens up the playbook for McDaniels, and the Patriots could have a scary and balanced offensive attack.
The Patriots Won the Offseason
Our defense lived in Miami’s backfield yesterday, sacking Tua Tagovailoa five times. Here’s a crazy fact for you: All five sacks were by 2025 free-agent additions. That's right: Milton Williams had two, Spillane, Landry, and Chaisson had one each. That’s coming off a game against Vegas where Landry had two and a half!
The impact of offseason signings for New England has been clear and immediate. Our pass rush, which produced the fewest sacks in the league in 2024, has been rejuvenated. Steffon Diggs has put up solid numbers this week, leading receivers in catches and yards. And our offensive line has looked marginally better, with Drake Maye having a near-average time-to-throw for the first time in his career (NGS). In just one offseason, the Patriots have gone from a bottom-feeder to a possible wild-card contender.
It’s a great time to be a Patriots fan, as we see the products of a successful rebuild clear as day on the field each Sunday. With Maye’s breakout, Rhamondre’s resurgence, and new faces’ immediate contributions, this could be a season to remember.