Colin Cowherd thinks highly of Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel.
FOX Sports' Colin Cowherd ranked Drake Maye and Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots the sixth-best QB-coach combo in the NFL.
Maye and Vrabel led the Patriots to the Super Bowl last season in their first year together.
"Vrabel and Drake Maye got to a Super Bowl," Cowherd said. "Drake Maye led the NFL in completion percentage passer rating. Those are two important numbers, and he's only getting better. To me, he's the East Coast Justin Herbert. Big, smart moves, arm throws downfield, highly accurate. They were, by the way, the most improved team in the league in some time."
Maye finished the 2025 regular season with 4,394 passing yards and 31 passing touchdowns while completing 72.0% of his passes. Not bad for a second-year QB playing for a new head coach.
A UNC product, Maye enters this season with 6,670 passing yards and 46 passing touchdowns.
It will be fascinating to see whether the Patriots can return to the Super Bowl and win it all. Maye and Co. have plenty of motivation after losing to the Seahawks in the Big Game last season.
The Patriots open the 2026 season with a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks in Seattle. That's the perfect game for Maye and Co. to get revenge.
"I think that's the biggest thing about it: It's humbling. You've got to get back to work. When you're so close and within reach, you want that feeling," Maye said. "Everybody says, 'You'll be back.' It's not that easy. So, we've got to get back to work, and I'm looking forward to trying to prove to myself that we can get back and just have another year to get a chance at it."
The Patriots made a big trade in the offseason, acquiring A.J. Brown from the Philadelphia Eagles. Vrabel coached Brown on the Tennessee Titans. The two have a close relationship.
Since entering the NFL, Brown is fourth in the league in both receiving yards (8,029) and touchdown catches (56). Brown and Cincinnati Bengals superstar Ja'Marr Chase are the NFL's only two players with at least 1,000 receiving yards and seven-plus touchdown catches in each of the past four seasons.
It will be intriguing to see how many games the Patriots win this season. They have a target on their back after winning the AFC in 2025.
