Should the 2026 Patriots Be Worried About Thier Quarterback Play?
Three weeks into the 2026 NFL season, the defending AFC Champion New England Patriots are struggling, even though all signs pointed in the opposite direction at the start of the season. It all started when three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver A.J. Brown got hurt during Week One against the Seattle Seahawks, and it was determined that he would miss a minimum of four games. However, quarterback Drake Maye’s play against Seattle was bad, throwing just 178 passing yards and three interceptions. Now, going into Week Four, the 24-year-old has a total of one touchdown and six interceptions this season.
New England’s Week Four matchup is their toughest challenge to date as they face division rivals in the Buffalo Bills. Last season in Week Five, these two teams played, and ultimately the Patriots won, and the confidence from that game led to a 10-game winning streak. Yet, this year, New England comes into Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium with a 1-2 record after being ripped to shreds by the Jacksonville Jaguars 35-6. With no reports of Brown coming back this week, the Patriots may finish Week Four at 1-3, which would be startling considering how much the team has grown over the past year.
Not only do the Patriots have to worry about being buried for a second straight game, but now they have to worry about the play of their quarterback. Maye’s one touchdown to six interceptions is nearly contradicting his MVP-like season from a year ago. In 2025, the 24-year-old recorded 31 touchdowns and eight interceptions, and in potentially four games into the new year, Maye could be on the verge of passing his interceptions he threw in a season ago. Last season, the 24-year-old led the league with the highest completion percentage at 72%. This season, Maye doesn’t even crack the top 15.
Mack Hollins currently has the most receiving yards through three weeks with 156, then Romeo Doubs with 145, and after the numbers drop significantly, the next highest is tight end Hunter Henry with 71. Maye has to be smarter with his passes and with the football overall. His fumble against the Jaguars this past Sunday hurt New England’s momentum to get back in the fight. Now, after learning some valuable lessons in his third NFL season, the 24-year-old quarterback must play some of his best football to keep the Patriots over .500 and in the hunt for a playoff spot.
So should the Patriots be worried? As of this moment, yes, absolutely. Although there is plenty of time left in the season to change things around, New England has to feel a little nervous. After playing in the Super Bowl in your sophomore season, teams find ways to attack you, yet it’s all about how you adapt to the game. Maye needs to adapt, whether he needs to run the ball more often or throw shorter, accurate passes that can eventually lead the Patriots to a first down every time around. The 24-year-old cannot afford to throw another interception and have that be the perception and the narrative the media puts around him. We’ve seen how special he can be, how accurate with the ball Maye has been. It’s whether the Patriots' third-year quarterback can bounce back from these hardships and put the team in winning positions.
