FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- When New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye took off on 28-yard run late in the third quarter of a 32-13 victory over the visiting Cleveland Browns on Sunday, fans began chanting "MVP! MVP! MVP!"
Then, when Maye connected with receiver Kayshon Boutte on a beautiful deep ball for a 39-yard touchdown on the next play, those chants grew that much louder.
"I was joking with him last week about MVP, too. He doesn't like to hear it. I think it's the truth," Boutte said of Maye, whose stellar play has helped the Patriots (6-2) win five straight games as one of the NFL's surprise teams. "We all see it. If you look around the league at the other guys, they're doing great stuff, too, but I think Drake is doing everything they're doing. There's nothing he's not doing."
Maye was 18-of-24 for 282 yards, with three touchdowns and one interception against the Browns, while adding seven rushes for 50 yards. His performance helped turn a close 9-7 halftime lead into a rout, as his three third-quarter touchdown passes marked the first time a Patriots quarterback threw three touchdowns in a quarter since Tom Brady on Dec. 9, 2018.
Entering Week 8, Maye (+750) was behind only Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (+165), Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (+375) and Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (+400) in MVP odds, according to ESPN BET Sportsbook.
"To see the growth in Drake has been awesome. Obviously he's going out there and playing at a high level right now," veteran tight end Hunter Henry said. "It's a lot of fun to go out there and play with him."
In his second NFL season, Maye has completed 75.2% of his passes, totaling 15 touchdowns and 3 interceptions. That's the second-highest completion percentage in the first eight games of a season in NFL history, according to ESPN Research, trailing former New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in 2018 (minimum 100 attempts). He's also rushed for 250 yards on 51 carries (4.9 avg.), with two touchdowns.
Maye's deep-ball accuracy has been a notable part of his success as he was 4-of-5 for 135 yards and a TD on throws of 20-plus air yards against the Browns. He is now completing 75% of his throws of at least 20 air yards this season, the highest completion percentage by a qualified quarterback through eight games since ESPN began tracking all NFL games in 2006.
"He's doing his thing. He's hooping, as I always say," Patriots safety Jaylinn Hawkins said. "It's just the energy, man, as a whole."
Maye said he didn't hear the MVP chants on Sunday, and he pinpointed areas that need improvement, such as scoring more touchdowns in the red zone and his second-quarter interception -- his first since Week 3 -- in which he didn't see Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger.
The Patriots returned home Sunday after three straight road games, and Maye noted the welcome from the crowd which serenaded him with "MVP" chants.
"The fans have been awesome all season," Maye said. "It's been really cool to see the difference from last year [4-13 record] to this year. Man, it's been a journey. They've been through it."
