New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye has thrown six interceptions and one touchdown pass through the first three games of the 2026 NFL season. His passer rating is 58.6, a drop of 54.9 points from his 112.9 mark in 2025. Maye leads the NFL in turnovers with seven through the first three games of the 2026 season.

He has lost two fumbles in addition to his six interceptions during this span. "I think Coach Vrabel’s been one of the biggest things as to why this has been so enjoyable for me is playing for Coach," Drake Maye said. "I’ve loved playing for him, and it’s not going to change," he said.

"He looks lost. His confidence is completely gone, and you can see why," an NFL scout said. An AFC scout offered a similar assessment.

"He looks like a rookie, and not a particularly good one," the AFC scout said. These evaluations come as Maye averages 3.04 seconds of time to throw per dropback and has not thrown for more than 208 yards in any single game through the first three weeks. His completion percentage stands at 63.7 percent.

The Patriots' offense ranks last in the NFL in points per game (9.7) and has the worst EPA per play (-0.21) through three games since the 2023 Jets. The team is averaging 12 points per game through the first three games of the 2026 season. In their Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, the Patriots scored six points.

He completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards against the Jaguars. He threw two interceptions and lost a fumble in that contest before being removed from the game late in the fourth quarter.

He denied that a shoulder injury is impacting his performance this season. He was listed on the Patriots injury report with a shoulder problem on Wednesday but was a full participant in practice on that day. "No, it hasn't. I don't think it impacts my decision-making, and that's what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks," he said.

He also denied reports of friction between himself and head coach Mike Vrabel. "Coach Vrabel’s been one of the best football coaches I’ve had in my life," he said. Personnel changes in the offseason may contribute to the current offensive difficulties.

The Patriots released Stefon Diggs at the start of the 2026 offseason after he recorded 85 receptions for the team during the 2025 NFL season. The Patriots traded Kayshon Boutte toward the end of 2026 training camp after he recorded six touchdown receptions in 14 games for the team during the 2025 NFL season.

A.J. Brown suffered an ankle injury in Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season and was placed on injured reserve by the Patriots. Brown caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in Week 1 before the injury. Four of his six interceptions in the 2026 season have come against two-high safety alignments.

He has averaged 9.48 yards per attempt against two-high safety alignments in the 2026 season. During the 2025 regular season and playoffs, he had a passer rating of 89.2 against two-high safety alignments and 110.9 against single-high safety alignments.

Why It Matters

He led the New England Patriots to the Super Bowl in the 2025 season and was the runner-up for the NFL Most Valuable Player award for the 2025 season. He passed for 4,394 yards, threw 31 touchdown passes, and completed 72 percent of his passes during the 2025 NFL regular season. His EPA per play was +0.286 in the 13 games before facing the Buffalo Bills in Week 15 of the 2025 season.

Timeline

On October 5, 2025, the New England Patriots defeated the Buffalo Bills 23-20 in Week 5 of the 2025 NFL season. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 273 yards with no turnovers in that Week 5 game against the Buffalo Bills during the 2025 season.

On January 4, 2026, records showed that Kayshon Boutte recorded six touchdown receptions in 14 games for the New England Patriots during the 2025 NFL season. On that same date, it was recorded that he threw eight interceptions during the 2025 NFL regular season. Also on January 4, 2026, data confirmed that he averaged 8.9 yards per attempt during the 2025 NFL regular season. On January 4, 2026, it was noted that he was sacked 47 times during the 2025 NFL regular season. Finally, on January 4, 2026, it was confirmed that he finished the 2025 NFL regular season with a 112.9 passer rating.

What's New

Additional reporting indicates that Rob Gronkowski stated that the New England Patriots' receivers are failing to get open. "They do need A.J. Brown back," Gronkowski said. Jim Leonhard stated that he appears to be struggling. "You’re watching a guy now that you can tell he’s going through some stuff and struggling a little bit," Leonhard said.

Further analysis shows that the New England Patriots' 2026 offense ranks last in the NFL in points per game (9.7) and has the worst EPA per play (-0.21) through three games since the 2023 Jets. The New England Patriots have a 1-2 record through the first three games of the 2026 NFL season. The New England Patriots scored six points in their Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He addressed injury concerns by saying, "No, it hasn't. I don't think it impacts my decision-making, and that's what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks."