The newest quarterback for the New England Patriots sees a lot of Josh Allen in his own game.
Bill Belichick isn’t so sure.
The former Patriots head coach threw some cold water on rookie Drake Maye’s comparison to the Buffalo Bills quarterback. The Patriots used their No. 3 overall pick on Maye, giving the North Carolina quarterback a strong chance to earn their starting job.
But on the idea that Maye could grow into a player like Allen, Belichick shared some doubts.
“Drake compares himself a lot to Josh Allen. … We’ll see about that,” Belichick said on Pat McAfee’s 5th Annual Draft Spectacular during the NFL Draft on April 25, a response that drew some viral attention on social media.
Bill Belichick Shares Praise for Josh Allen
Belichick said there could be some cursory comparisons between Maye and Allen, especially their physical attributes. The former Patriots head coach wasn’t sure if it went further than that.
“I think there are some comparisons with size and athleticism, but Josh Allen is a pretty special player,” Belichick said.
Allen was considered a raw prospect when he entered the league in 2018, and had an up-and-down rookie season with the Bills. Though he showed flashes of brilliant play, Allen also struggled with consistency and mistakes. He completed only 52.8% of his passes, threw 12 interceptions with only 10 touchdowns, and finished the season with a 67.9 quarterback rating.
Belichick did say that Maye was similar to Allen in this aspect, noting that the new Patriots quarterback has some strong skills but needs to learn to put it all together. He added that Maye is sometimes too quick to bail out on a clean pocket, which has also been a criticism of Allen at times.
“A very talented kid. Good size, runs well, has a good arm,” Belichick said of Maye. “Just he hasn’t played very much. He really doesn’t have a lot of experience. He makes some big plays. … He’s gonna need some work in reading defenses, reading coverages.”
Former Patriots Coach Had High Praise for Josh Allen
Belichick has always been high on Allen, sharing praise for the Bills quarterback and saying he would be a strong MVP candidate during the 2022 season.
“They’re explosive [in the passing game] on offense,” Belichick said, via SI.com’s Patriots Country. “Allen’s the leading rusher, so that tells you all you need to know about what you have to defend every time he touches the ball, it could be any number of things and does them all well. Great player, certainly an MVP candidate. He does a lot for their team in a lot of ways.”
After losing his first three appearances against Belichick and the Patriots, Allen turned the tables after Tom Brady bolted from New England to join the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Starting in the 2020 season, Allen had a 6-2 record against Belichick’s Patriots. The Bills quarterback threw for 15 touchdowns and 4 interceptions in those eight games, earning a 95.5 quarterback rating.
In December 2023, Belichick said Allen’s progression into a superstar quarterback reminded him of a legendary Patriots quarterback.
“It’s kind of like Brady,” Belichick said, via SI.com. “Once Brady got to a certain point there in ’03, that’s pretty much what he was the rest of his career. Wasn’t like that in ’02, wasn’t like that in ’01, certainly wasn’t like that in 2000.”
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