NFL insiders have liked New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye. They just haven’t loved Maye the way Patriots fans and some media have loved him. Until now.

The gap between public perception and insider reality has closed over the past three weeks. Maye, who broke Tom Brady’s single-game, regular-season franchise record for completion rate in a 31-13 victory over Tennessee on Sunday, has resembled a top-tier QB in ways he had not before.

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“For the first time, football people view Maye as possibly being a guy,” an exec from another team said. “He has always looked the part because of his measurables, but the game had not slowed down enough for him to develop that stuff.”

Mike Sando’s 2025 QB Tiers Drake Maye Patriots Tier 3

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The five-time reigning AFC East champion Buffalo Bills, idle Sunday after dropping from 4-0 to 4-2, now have more to worry about than the Kansas City Chiefs in the playoffs. The 5-2 Patriots, 23-20 winners at Buffalo in Week 5, are going to get better — much better — if Maye remains on his recent trajectory.

The Pick Six column begins there, with insider takes on what Maye has shown to earn their respect over the past three games, and what it means for New England — and for Buffalo. The full menu:

• Maye, Patriots change dynamics

• Almost paper-bag time for Raiders

• Trading Tua, Trevor or Kyler?

• Rodgers, meet the Betrayal Index

• John Harbaugh’s Super-long drought

• Two-minute drill: Wait, Giants lost?

1. The Bills went 24-6 in the AFC East from Brady’s Patriots exit through 2024. They finally have competition in the division.

Maye’s development and the Patriots’ growth come at an interesting time for the Bills. Buffalo ranks fifth in offensive EPA per play but only 23rd on the defensive side.

“The (Buffalo) defense is good when they have a lead, but they are small, and you can lean on them a little bit that way,” an opposing coach said.

Think Mike Vrabel (listed playing weight: 261) might want to lean on an undersized opponent? Did you see the way the 227-pound Rhamondre Stevenson was running in Tennessee?

To be clear, no one is writing off the Bills.

“Mentally, as much as anything else, it’s hard to stay that hungry, and I see Buffalo as a team that thinks they can flip the switch at some point, because they have been good for a long time,” an exec said. “They have been taking everybody’s best shot for 3-4 years now. It is just hard to stay sharp.”

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New England looks hungry. The Patriots and Kansas City are the only teams to rank among the NFL’s top 10 in EPA per play on both sides of the ball this season. Buffalo ranked first on offense and second on defense from 2020-24. Times are changing, although more evidence is needed, as four of New England’s victories were against Miami, Carolina, New Orleans and Tennessee.

“They are a good team,” an opposing exec said of the Patriots. “I do not think they are a great team, but here is what they do not do: beat themselves. That is the nature of that coach (Vrabel). There is a fear factor of accountability.”

Maye’s willingness to take tough and detailed coaching, which he surely is getting from Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, is an X-factor. Among the six first-round quarterbacks from the 2024 class, Denver’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Jayden Daniels appear to be wired similarly. Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. could fall into that category. Chicago’s Caleb Williams is fighting perceptions he isn’t wired that way, while Minnesota’s J.J. McCarthy must prove he can get on the field and stay there.

There's little comparison statistically between Maye and the other second-year drafted quarterbacks starting for their teams this season.

Maye ranks third among 34 qualifying quarterbacks in EPA per pass play, passer rating and yards per