Drake Maye-led Patriots clinch first AFC East title since '19 - ESPN

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye got right to the point after the team's 42-10 win over the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium on Sunday.

«Winning the division is what we're focused on,» he said.

Maye ensured the Patriots were in position to do so with a history-making performance, then was able to sit back with teammates and celebrate winning the AFC East title as the Buffalo Bills lost to the Philadelphia Eagles 13-12 in Orchard Park, New York, later in the day.

It marked the Patriots' first division title since 2019. The Bills had won it in each year since.

On his first day on the job in January as the franchise was coming off a 4-13 season, Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said: «Our goals will be to win the AFC East, to host home playoff games, and to compete for championships. We're certainly not going to put a timeline on what those will be. But that's going to be the expectations.»

That the Patriots were able to accomplish their first goal so quickly is one of the NFL's surprise stories, and Maye's ascension to superstar has been at the heart of it. Sunday against the Jets was his latest gem as he finished 19-of-21 passing for 256 yards, with five touchdowns and no interceptions. One of the incompletions was a drop by receiver Kyle Williams late in the second quarter.

HATS & T-SHIRTS pic.twitter.com/bBUdcH1ya5

According to ESPN Research, Maye became only the third player in NFL history to record five passing touchdowns and complete 90% of his passes in a game, joining the Packers' Lynn Dickey (December 1981) and the Browns' Frank Ryan (December 1964).

Vrabel was asked if he believed Maye was the NFL's Most Valuable Player.

«They don't give me a vote,» he said. «But there's nobody else