“They’ve won a couple of close games, and that’s really changed their record.”
UNC head coach Bill Belichick has largely remained mum this season when it comes to talking about his former team, the Patriots, and in particular, Tar Heels alum Drake Maye. But the future Hall-of-Fame head coach did give New England’s QB some props this week while making an appearance on the “Let’s Go!” podcast with Jim Gray.
In particular, Belichick highlighted the dangers that come with the dreaded sophomore slump for young quarterbacks and how a team on the rise could seemingly splinter in short order. In this exercise, Belichick pointed to how the Washington Commanders and QB Jayden Daniels have largely regressed this season, while Maye’s ascension as one of the league’s top young quarterbacks has allowed New England to jump up to a 7-2 record.
“I think competitively, most everyone who’s been in strong competition will tell you that it’s a little bit easier to get to the top than just stay on top,” Belichick said. “Certainly, an organization like Washington could see that this year. They had a great year last year. Things fell right for them. And this year, everybody’s gunning for them. And it’s a lot tougher.
“Certainly, Drake Maye has had an outstanding year for the Patriots,” Belichick added. “They’ve won a couple of close games, and that’s really changed their record. I’d say.”
Maye has put himself in the conversation for league MVP in his first full season as New England’s starting QB, with DraftKings tabbing Maye with the third-best MVP odds (+425), behind only Josh Allen (+180) and Patrick Mahomes (+350).
Even with an uneven performance on Sunday against the Falcons, Maye is still completing 74.1 percent of his passes this season, throwing for 2,285 yards (fifth in the NFL) to go along with 17 touchdowns (tied for 3rd) and just four interceptions. He has also rushed for 270 yards and two touchdowns on the year, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.
Of course, Maye and the Patriots might need to heed Belichick’s warning for next season when it comes to teams being more prepared to account for Maye’s playmaking and a New England team that has surprised many so far this season.
New England will need to both keep its franchise QB healthy and avoid regression across several other areas of their depth chart moving forward—two keys that the Commanders have failed to execute in what is looking to be a lost year for a franchise that made it all the way to the NFC Championship Game last season.
https://www.boston.com/sports/new-england-patriots/2025/11/05/bill-belichick-drake-maye-nfl-football-new-england-patriots-unc-north-carolina/