Maye isn’t being bashful; if any young quarterback likes to air it out, it’s the North Carolina product who has formed quite a connection with Boutte. When Maye fired a decisive strike toward the end zone in the fourth quarter of their Divisional Round win over Houston, it was only right that the ball was headed in Boutte’s direction.
But Maye’s stat line suggests there are some reasons for concern as he takes on Denver’s suffocating pass defense, which ranks second in completion percentage allowed and passing yards allowed per attempt (as well as fourth in passing touchdowns allowed and sixth in passer rating). His completion percentage — a highlight on his sparkling sophomore season résumé — has dropped by more than 13 percentage points from the regular season to the playoffs. His downfield completion percentage is even worse in this postseason: 38.9 percent on throws of 10-plus air yards, per Next Gen Stats, a number that stands as a stark contrast to Maye’s NFL-best 61.8 completion percentage on downfield throws in the regular season.
He’s posted a 4-2 TD-INT ratio and a 93.4 passer rating, illustrating a picture of a quarterback who is still avoiding crushing mistakes, but he’s also accounted for 2.5 giveaways per game in the postseason while being sacked an average of five times per game.
History suggests Maye may be doomed if the trend continues. No quarterback since the 1970 merger has won each of his first three playoff games with a completion percentage below 60 in all three wins, per NFL Research. It has happened for a veteran, though, but isn’t common; Tom Brady was the last to do so en route to the Buccaneers’ win over the Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.
Still, asking Maye to dial it back in order to avoid mistakes is counterintuitive to what propelled the Patriots to this point. Sure, Maye hasn’t been the scintillating passer throughout his two playoff wins, but he’s made big plays in key spots. Reining him in would only diminish New England’s offensive potential.
“Our quarterback continues to show up, especially in those moments where things can go left or right,” veteran receiver Stefon Diggs said. “He’s making the right reads. He’s making the right throws. He’s rolling with the punches. Playoff ball, it’s not going to be pretty. I’ll take our leader any day.”