With 13 wins and three defeats before the final day of the game, the Patriots can no longer be pushed off the top of the AFC East. New England – once the NFL’s outstanding football team with quarterback Tom Brady – took last place in the AFC East last season with a record of just four wins and 13 defeats. The title went to the Bills five times in a row, whose quarterback Josh Allen failed to score a touchdown against the Eagles.
Meanwhile, Maye, who played an almost perfect game against the Jets, acted completely differently. The 24-year-old completed 19 of his 21 passes, throwing for 256 yards and a career-high five touchdowns. The six-time Super Bowl champions ended the regular season undefeated away from home. “It’s hard to win on the road in this league, today we did it,” said Maye, who was substituted by coach Mike Vrabel in the third quarter against the Jets.
Maye is now one of the few Patriots quarterbacks to break the 4,000-yard passing mark in a season, alongside Tom Brady (11 times) and Drew Bledsoe (twice). In general, Maye is consistently delivering performances at a high level in his second year in the NFL. In any case, loud shouts for MVP were already echoing through the MetLife Stadium in New York. And the 24-year-old actually has a good chance of being named the most valuable player of the regular season.
Bills worry about quarterback Allen
His predecessor as MVP, Bills quarterback Allen, currently has completely different worries. Due to a foot injury, the 29-year-old was only able to train to a limited extent, was also handicapped against the Eagles and had to endure five sacks. According to ESPN, it was the first time in Allen’s eight-year career that he threw more than 20 passes in a game – all from the pocket.
“I would be lying if I didn’t say before the game that I was keeping an eye on Josh,” Bills coach Sean McDermott said. “Simply because he is so important to us. And we are in the play-offs. But I also know who he is. He is extremely ambitious and extremely good, but I also have a responsibility to protect him and make sure he is as fit as possible for the play-offs.”
Two showdowns for final two play-off tickets
The San Francisco 49ers meanwhile won an exciting duel with the Chicago Bears and maintained their chance of winning the NFC West title. Quarterback Brock Purdy threw the decisive touchdown to receiver Jauan Jennings with 2:15 minutes left. Thanks to the 42:38 win, the 49ers now have twelve wins and four defeats – and can push the Seattle Seahawks (13:3) out of first place in their division and the conference in a direct duel on the last game day.
Of the 14 play-off places, two are still up for grabs in direct duels next Sunday. The Carolina Panthers (8:8) and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7:9) are fighting for the title in the NFC South. The Pittsburgh Steelers (9:7) play against the Baltimore Ravens (8:8) to win the AFC North. The Steelers missed the early decision in the race for the final play-off ticket in the AFC with a 6:13 defeat at the bottom of the division, the Cleveland Browns.
