Jets fans will delight in Drake Maye putting up Zach Wilson-like numbers in 2026

The New York Jets and New England Patriots came into the year with vastly different sets of expectations due to their starting quarterbacks and 2025 finishes, but Geno Smith and Drake Maye have both led their teams to 1-2 records to kick off the 2026 season.

As everyone predicted (insert massive sarcasm), Smith has wholly outplayed Maye, with the latter throwing just one touchdown and six interceptions, and adding in a comical fumble in which an attempted deep ball slipped out of his hands. After the Patriots' Week 3 defeat against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Maye's numbers are looking similar to an all-time Jets bust.

The Patriots have scored just 29 points in 30 drives to begin the season, which gives New England the lowest points per drive (0.97) of any team in their first three games since the 2021 Jets. Fans may remember Zach Wilson's first three painful starts, which included four interceptions against the Patriots and a shutout at the hands of the Denver Broncos.

New York Jets fans can relish Drake Maye's Zach Wilson-like start to 2026

Going back to the start of the postseason (in which he didn't look like an MVP runner-up), Maye has fumbled nine times and thrown 10 interceptions. The last quarterback to hit each of those benchmarks in a seven-game span was Jameis Winston during his famous 30-touchdown and 30-interception season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2019.

Yes, Maye does not have AJ Brown after he went on injured reserve, but the Patriots' receiving room is almost identical to what they had last year, with Romeo Doubs in place of Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte in Houston. While Doubs is a downgrade and Boutte is gone, the drop-off shouldn't be that steep.

The common pithy criticism levied against the Patriots last year is that Maye and others achieved their gaudy statistics by beating up on what was an extremely weak schedule. While that may have been exaggerated a tad for comedic effect, Maye struggling against two 2026 playoff teams in Seattle and Jacksonville and a quality Pittsburgh defense may raise some alarm bells.

The New York Jets may compete with the New England Patriots in Week 6

By comparison, Smith is fresh off going 31-37 for 320 yards and three touchdowns against the Detroit Lions. That performance came without Adonai Mitchell, Mason Taylor, and Omar Cooper Jr., while Breece Hall and Garrett Wilson both picked up injuries in the middle of the game.

The Patriots are a better team than the Jets, both as far as roster and coaching are concerned, but if the two teams keep playing like this, the Jets' Week 6 matchup against their hated rivals in Foxborough may end up being more competitive than it looked to begin the year.

Eventually, things will average out. Maye will, in all likelihood, return to the elite level he proved he was capable of hitting last season, and Smith will likely regress to somewhere a bit more toward the middle of the pack. However, the Jets can enjoy one of the few times they can actually get one over against the Patriots.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow