EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- For those who dig the long ball, the New England Patriots' upcoming home game against the Green Bay Packers on Sunday (4:25 p.m. ET, Gillette Stadium, Fox) is the place to be.Patriots quarterback Drake Maye and Packers signal-caller Jordan Love have been on heaters with their down-the-field connections, with Love leading all quarterbacks with 14 completions of at least 20 yards since Week 4 and Maye second with 11. With Tom Brady in town for his first-ever television broadcast featuring the team for which he played 20 seasons and won six Super Bowl championships, the possibility of fireworks is tantalizing.And if not for Maye's deep-ball proficiency, the vibes around the 5-3 Patriots might be much different this week.New England was in a compromising position Sunday in rain-soaked South Florida against the underdog Dolphins, trailing 13-3 at halftime. But Maye's 43-yard touchdown strike to speedy receiver Kyle Williams, followed by his 48-yarder to receiver DeMario "Pop" Douglas, instantly changed things in a 24-19 win.The turnaround mirrors Maye's individual U-turn this season.Since Week 4, Maye has six touchdowns and no interceptions on passes at least 20 yards downfield. That leads the NFL in that stretch and is double the next-closest total of any quarterback -- Love and the Las Vegas Raiders' Kirk Cousins are tied for second with three each.Through the first three weeks of the season, Maye had no touchdowns and three interceptions on passes at least 20 yards. He admitted he was struggling to strike the balance between the right decision (e.g. -- taking what's there) and the big play. Maye, who earned one of four game balls from coach Mike Vrabel on Sunday after playing a turnover-free game in challenging weather conditions, has decisively found it, leading the NFL in QBR while pressured (61.0) since Week 4 according to ESPN Research. For context, the league average in that span is 13.5.Facing more favorable defenses after seeing the Seattle Seahawks, Pittsburgh Steelers and Jacksonville Jaguars in the opening three weeks has aided Maye's revival. Four of the past five teams the Patriots have faced are ranked 21st or lower in defense according to ESPN's Football Power Index, with the Dolphins last at No. 32.Nonetheless, it's impressive that he has turned things around with several top pass catchers sidelined due to injury, a group that includes Mack Hollins (calf), Romeo Doubs (shoulder) and A.J. Brown (knee). And top tight end Hunter Henry was limited to eight snaps on Sunday due to a foot injury."He'll be a great quarterback in the National Football League," Vrabel said of Maye. "There's not a whole lot of excuses. You go out there and you find ways to win for your football team. And I know that that's one who he is, and that's what he wants to continue to be."So, he just throws to the open guy and controls our offense and gets guys in the right spot. That's being one of the best quarterbacks in the league; that's what the job description requires."Hollins is eligible to return from injured reserve this week, and his presence with the team on the past two road trips indicates he could be on the cusp of being activated. Doubs isn't eligible to return until late November, while Brown continues to receive treatment, according to Vrabel, and is being evaluated daily.Vrabel didn't have an update on Henry, with Maye saying after Sunday's game: "I saw when he got up from the catch, I was worried about him. I probably shouldn't be worried about him, but I'm worried about Hunt. I know he went back to the locker room, but he seems like he's walking around fine and he's got a smile on his face."Love is one of the few quarterbacks who can rival Maye in the deep passing game, and the 5-3 Packers have needed it because they average only 60.6 rushing yards per game, the fewest by any team through eight games since the 2019 Bengals (59.5). In the Packers' win over the Panthers on Thursday, Love threw two touchdown passes 10-plus yards down the field and was 7-of-14 for 154 passing yards on those throws.When it comes to success in the deep passing game, Vrabel said it starts with having receivers who can get downfield and make plays. Protection is obviously critical. And then it comes back to the quarterbacks."Certainly touch is involved, right? And if you have to drive the ball -- arm strength," he said. "But I think probably just having a good feel of, 'Do I need a 35-yard pass that's in the air, or do I need a 50-yard ball?' and being able to judge that differently."Maye has been hot in that department, which Packers coach Matt LaFleur noted Monday."He's really athletic, too, and so we got to do a good job of trying to contain him the best you can because a lot of their explosive plays are when he gets loose in the pocket and can get out," LaFleur said. "And he's got a big-time arm."Douglas, who has been the Patriots' most targeted receiver since Hollins went on IR after Week 4, has enjoyed the front-row view of Maye's turnaround."That's a dawg," Douglas said. "His growth that I've seen is crazy -- from Year 1 to now. And then you see the beginning of this year and how he's rocking out now. That shows a champion in him."ESPN Packers reporter Rob Demovsky contributed to this story.
