Drake Maye notched a signature win on Sunday, carving up the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense so badly that it propelled him into the thick of the MVP conversation. That's a point traveling Patriots fans let him know about during the game, even if he took the high road by invoking Baker Mayfield after.
He finished the game with 270 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including one to Kyle Williams that went for 72 yards. At one point, the Patriots needed just three plays to swing a 10-7 Buccaneers lead into a deficit Tampa Bay wouldn't be able to overcome.
Loud 'MVP' chants rained down on Maye throughout the game, which was yet another twist of the knife in Tampa Bay's loss. The Bucs have always had a hard time keeping opposing fans out, and Sunday was another embarassing reminder of that.
Maye, however, didn't dunk on anyone after the game and instead took a classy high road that Bucs fans have to at least appreciate a little.
Drake Maye gave a classy answer to hearing MVP chants at Raymond James Stadium
While being interviewed after the game by CBS’s Tracy Wolfson, Maye was asked about the MVP chants and gave a classy answer that also served as a compliment to Baker Mayfield.
“They may have been for Baker [Mayfield],” Maye said. “Baker played his butt off. I’m a big fan of Baker’s game and they have a good football team. But you know, we travel well. That’s the Patriots. That’s us. We’re gonna travel every week.”
That still doesn't take the sting off Sunday's loss, but it at least doesn't make things worse. A running frustration among fans has been how hard RayJay flips to large opposing fan bases like the Patriots and to hear MVP chants for the visiting quarterback during an ass kicking like we saw on Sunday doesn't feel great.
Still, to hear Maye take the high road is at the very least admirable. It's also a reminder that Baker isn't out of the MVP race, either.
Maye has surged into the forefront of the conversation thanks to stringing together some nice wins, and Baker has a chance to top that over the next few weeks. The Bucs' offense has gone cold since the loss in Detroit but if it can heat up against the Bills and Rams, then all of a sudden the narrative flips.
That's partially what makes Sunday's loss so frustrating, as the Bucs should have won the game. They didn't, though, and the lasting impression from the game is the opposing quarterback commenting on MVP chants he was getting in a stadium that wasn't his home.
Hopefully that's the sort of stuff that fires the Bucs up to start turning things around before it's too late and they're nothing more than a footnote in the success of others.