Josh McDaniels Shoots Down Drake Maye 'Yips' Talk Before Bills Clash
McDaniels says there's no confidence problem. But a 1-3 Patriots team and a QB1 finish last year make Sunday a big one for Maye managers.
QB3 upside is real, but he needs a bounce-back against Buffalo.
- Maye threw 31 TD, 8 INT over 17 games in 2025
- Posted 354 PPR points, our QB3 in 2025
- Added 450 rush yards and 4 rush TD last season
- A loss Sunday drops New England to 1-3
- Last 5 games: +1.7 fantasy pts vs season average
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels isn't buying the narrative building around Drake Maye. Asked whether his quarterback is dealing with confidence issues or the dreaded "yips," McDaniels flatly rejected both, saying Maye simply doesn't let bad plays snowball. For context: Maye was our QB3 in 2025, finishing with 354 PPR points on 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns and just 8 picks across 17 games.
The timing matters. New England sits at 1-3 heading into Sunday, and a loss to Buffalo would push the Bills to 4-0 while leaving the Patriots with as many defeats in four weeks as they had all of last season. That's the real pressure point here — not Maye's golf swing.
McDaniels leaned hard on analogy, comparing Maye's short-memory approach to a cornerback who gives up a catch and moves on. He said he's played golf and pickleball with the kid and never seen his demeanor change, whether things are going well or not. The OC did concede there are negative scenarios the staff wants to clean up, but he framed Maye's mindset as a strength, not a liability.
The Reality Check
Here's the part McDaniels can't wave away: shaking off a bad slice on a quiet course is very different from processing a turnover in front of a packed Gillette Stadium and a national TV audience. Whatever's behind Maye's slow start, the coaching staff needs answers fast — and Sunday against an unbeaten Bills team is a brutal place to find them.
The Fantasy Fallout
For managers, the underlying profile is still encouraging. Maye's rushing floor — he ran for 450 yards and 4 scores in 2025 — gives him a safety net even when the passing game sputters, and over his last five games he's actually run +1.7 fantasy points above his season average. That's not the trend line of a quarterback in free fall.
Bottom line: hold Maye. He's our QB3 from a year ago and the dual-threat upside keeps his ceiling intact, but the Buffalo matchup is tough and the team is reeling. If you've got a cleaner Week 5 start, there's no shame in pivoting — just don't panic-drop a guy who's one good game from quieting all of this.
