The New England Patriots will play the rival Buffalo Bills in two of their final three games of the 2024 NFL season, including Sunday afternoon's matchup at Highmark Stadium.
The Bills sit atop the AFC East with a 11-3 record, and they just defeated the NFC-leading Detroit Lions 48-42 on the road in Week 15. Much of the Bills' success stems from the elite performance of quarterback Josh Allen, who is the favorite to win league MVP for the first time.
Allen is completing 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,395 yards with 25 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He's also making plays running the ball, with 484 yards (5.3 per carry) and 11 touchdowns on the ground. He's been unstoppable for most of the season.
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Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye has drawn comparisons to Allen this season, and during the pre-draft process. Both quarterbacks have plenty of size (Maye is 6-foot-4 and 225 pounds, Allen is 6-foot-5, 237 pounds), plenty of athleticism and a rocket arm. Each of them is able to escape the pocket and pick up huge chunks of yards with their legs.
JOSH ALLEN LAUNCHES DEEP.
— NFL (@NFL) December 15, 2024
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Allen is a top-three quarterback right now. Maye is playing well, but he has only made eight starts as a pro. The comparisons between the two are fun, but Maye understands he's nowhere close to Allen's level at the moment.
"I think I've got a long way to go," Maye told reporters at his press conference Wednesday. "What a player he is, playing at an MVP level. I think the biggest thing is just the progression he's made.
"I think what he dealt with, whether coming out of college or his first years here, I feel like everybody was just kind of not giving him the credit he deserved. Now, you can see kind of the full fruition of what he's doing and the level he's playing at. Just, like I said, fun to watch, and I think I've got a long way to go to get to anywhere close to playing at his level."
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Maye has watched plenty of Allen highlights, and he's also met the Bills quarterback a few times.
"What a special player. He's playing at a really high level. It's been fun to watch some of his highlights in some of the games," Maye said.
"They've got a lot of primetime games, so anytime Josh is on, I'm a big fan of his, a big fan of his game. I got to meet him a couple times throughout my time just crossing paths, and he's an awesome dude. He's a great player, and what he's done for Buffalo and how they embrace him is pretty cool and pretty admirable."
It took Allen a few seasons to reach top 10 QB status, and that process was aided by the Bills bolstering their roster around him in terms of free agent acquisitions, the trade market, and investing serious draft capital at the skill positions.
The Patriots need to do the same in the upcoming offseason and invest in the talent around Maye. Acquiring a No. 1 wideout and making a major upgrade at left tackle need to be at the top of the list.