Drake Maye has established himself as one of the better quarterbacks in the NFL during his sophomore campaign and it's entirely possible that he captures one of the more surprising MVP honors we've ever seen. The New England Patriots quarterback was efficient in his team's Monday Night Football victory over the New York Giants, completing 24 of his 31 passes for 282 yards and two touchdowns while once again being in total control of the offense.
New England now sports the best record in all of football at 11-2 and will defend its position as the AFC's No. 1 seed over the final month of the year. Even the most optimistic fan did not have that on their bingo card coming into the season and the ride to this point has been shockingly smooth as Maye moves his ceiling higher with almost every start.
In short, it's been a near flawless year for Maye, his coach Mike Vrabel and Patriots supporters who had to survive a few post-Tom Brady years that left something to be desired under center. One of the bigger challenges, as it turns out, is giving Maye a cool nickname.
And while the Drake Maye Drake Maye thing is good for a laugh, it's tough for a meme to stay relevant over the next decade-plus of the quarterback's career. A serious quarterback needs a serious moniker and Vrabel may have stumbled upon the perfect one during his postgame press conference Monday night while speaking about Maye's performance.
"I think he's realizing what he can be and what the impact that he makes on this offense and being our conductor," coach Mike Vrabel said. "He means a great deal to this football team."
"Just trying to be the face of the offense, trying to be the conductor -- want the pressure, want the ball in my hands," Maye said separately. "I know they feed off of me and feed off of my energy."
So they both agree. Drake Maye is The Conductor.
Should we all agree that he's The Conductor and start calling him that? Or are we committed to Drake Maye Drake Maye? It's important to consider the weighty issues.
The argument for The Conductor is that it's player-tested, coach-approved. It really fits Maye who is businesslike—much like actual conductors who need to be focused and alert. Sure, they can pull the big whistle from time to time to give the kids a thrill but the main thing is the main thing for them—and it's keeping the train on the track.
Don't appreciate the railways? Well, conductor can mean someone who leads the orchestra to create beautiful music. Or something that delivers electricity or heat, which is apt for the frigid conditions in Foxborough come playoff time.
Look, we don't have to make a decision right now. But it does feel like Maye is going to be a major part of the NFL fabric for many years to come. The Conductor is timeless and has the opportunity to evolve as Maye gets older, wiser and alters his playing style.
Something to consider.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Mike Vrabel May Have Just Created a Better Nickname for Drake Maye.
