Drake Maye In For Test Of His Career
November 7th, 2025
The Drake Maye hype has reached a crossroads at the heels of Bucs head coach/defensive coordinator Todd Bowles.
The Patriots’ second-year quarterback throws a strong deep ball, is accurate around the field (74 percent completion rate), and no quarterback has run the ball this season.
With New England at 7-2, it’s easy to understand why some are selling Maye as an MVP candidate, considering he doesn’t have a ton of offensive talent around him.
ESPN quarterback guru Dan Orlovsky, the former Bucs backup, says Maye is about to face a new and high hurdle: the Tampa Bay defense.
“This will be the biggest challenge Drake Maye has faced in his NFL career — 100 percent,” Orlovsky said on
Stay In BedGet Up.“This defense, No. 1, very good against the run Tampa. Then No. 2, it makes you constantly think. They’re constantly changing the question on you – pre-snap to post-snap. ‘This pressure is coming from here. This guy is dropping from here. This blitz is coming from here. This coverage is rotating that way.’ He hasn’t really seen that. So we’re going to know a lot more about Drake Maye – just as far as how, how, how good — after this week. This is the biggest challenge he’s seen in his career.”
Orlovsky picks the Bucs to beat New England.
November 7th, 2025 at 7:00 am
Todd Bowles should have his guys just start saying gibberish and throwing random hand signals to throw people off. Would be funny to watch
November 7th, 2025 at 7:15 am
First Last, LOL. That’s funny. Great idea!
November 7th, 2025 at 7:15 am
CHAMPIONSHIP DEFENSE IS ON DISPLAY!!!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
November 7th, 2025 at 7:17 am
Hit him early.
November 7th, 2025 at 7:30 am
“Todd Bowles should have his guys just start saying gibberish and throwing random hand signals to throw people off. Would be funny to watch”
What’s funny about this is that the patriots did this to the falcons pre-snap, mimicking the silent count hand claps and actually got Atlanta to bite on some of them.
November 7th, 2025 at 8:14 am
This game, in my opinion, is AW31 vs Drake Maye. I think Sweezy has a Polomalu type game where he dissects and baits him into a couple of mistakes. Bucs win because of solid red zone defense and just enough physicality on offense.
Go Bucs!
November 7th, 2025 at 8:41 am
Drake Maye has a 119.4 QB rating against the blitz this season. Hopefully Bowles has more up his sleeve than getting blitz happy against this guy. He’s young, but so far he hasn’t shown vulnerability to things that bother young QB’s. The kid will stand in there and take the hits instead of forcing bad throws because of pressure..
November 7th, 2025 at 8:48 am
Maye has incredible accuracy and touch on the deep ball, reminds me of Brady. Think the key to the game however is keeping him from running when in man coverage or the pocket collapses. The guy is a powerful runner.
November 7th, 2025 at 8:50 am
I would think that the Patriots would be practicing some of the strategies that Bowles incorporates with his defense to confuse their young quarterback, and at the same time I would expect Bowles to add a few wrinkles of his own to keep him confused . GO BUCS
November 7th, 2025 at 9:19 am
I saw Maye in person at some UNC games. An amazing player who single handed won games, often scrambling on long runs. Bowles needs to shut down his runs.
November 7th, 2025 at 9:44 am
I really hope the Bucs defense brings their A-game this week. Would love to see a curb stomping.
November 7th, 2025 at 9:48 am
Our defensive backfield is the best in the NFC. That includes two great safeties, two solid outside corners, two vg slot players. They get turnovers, they cover well, etc. The problem is the middle of the field but if NE dunk and dunks then it’s all about tackling and preventing YAC. I see a low scoring game unless the Buc receivers get some separation on this mediocre Patriot defensive backs. I also envision a number of sacks and turnovers by the Buc’s defense.
November 7th, 2025 at 10:47 am
It’s going to be a tough game but the Bucs will win.
November 7th, 2025 at 10:47 am
It’s good that everyone is talking about MVP Maye , the only thing they are saying about Tampa is still banged up ,,,, that means Tampa by 12 in a laugher ,,, also NE hasn’t given up 50 yards to a rusher this year,,, Challenge accepted,, Luke, get ready to get nasty
November 7th, 2025 at 11:22 am
Maye does well against the blitz, but non-blitz pressure when he has to hold the ball causes issues (and lots of sacks). If our guys keep their gap integrity and limit his ability to use his legs, all the better. Maye makes quick decisions and will throw the ball away (smartly) to avoid a sack or possible INT by forcing a throw, but he’ll also give up on a play early at times.
If he dinks and dunks, so be it. Fear the long ball. That’s one of his strengths. And I agree with Dan O. Bowles will try to confuse the kid and it just might work.
They have Boutte out as well as Stephenson, so their deep threat and power back are gone. Keep an eye on Hunter Henry. That’s Maye’s security blanket.
November 7th, 2025 at 11:24 am
Please, Todd, in the name of all that is decent, please avoid reverting to the ultra soft shell turtle large cushion cover no one crap. Please, no regression to that.
When the pressure was on against the Aints you were (mostly, except for SirSucksatPassdefense) taking away the easy dumpoff.
More of that. Thank you.
November 7th, 2025 at 11:37 am
Glass Half Full Guy Says:
They have Boutte out as well as Stephenson, so their deep threat and power back are gone. Keep an eye on Hunter Henry. That’s Maye’s security blanket.
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Keep another eye on TreVeyon Henderson. He’s been stuck behind Stevenson all season. He’s much faster and more nimble than anyone else in the Patriots backfield and McDaniels should have no problem seeing the mismatch against Sirvocea.
November 7th, 2025 at 12:38 pm
I’ve seen Bowles’s defenses ripped by lesser QBs. Let’s not think this us going to be easy.
November 7th, 2025 at 12:43 pm
hopefully the mvp hype has made it to the bucs bulletin board
November 7th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
Maintain contain. If we let Maye escape the pocket frequently we will lose. Collapse the pocket and put him on the ground. MG got 5 sacks on him. We need to make this an ugly grind it out game for them. Our DBs should be able to cover these guys. Get Maye on the ground.
November 7th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
If it was a safe betting environment The Bucs -The Patriots are about to be exposed. They give up too many sacs. I doubt Maye makes it through this game in one piece.