Last year, the New England Patriots made quarterback Drake Maye their first-round pick, selecting him as the heir apparent to Tom Brady.
Maye had some bright moments during his rookie season, while also throwing 10 interceptions.
He’s improved on that statistic this season, leading the Patriots to a 5-2 record heading into their matchup this weekend against the Cleveland Browns.
Sunday will mark the first time that the Browns will have seen Maye on the opposing sideline, but that hasn’t stopped Cleveland’s coaching staff from discussing the second-year signal-caller.
Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda offered up a surprising comparison for Maye.
“It’s like a combination of Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Allen. It’s like this morph, and now you get this superfreak,” Banda said.
Browns safeties coach Ephraim Banda on Patriots QB Drake Maye: "It's like a combination of Ben Roethlisberger and Josh Allen. It's like this morph, and now you get this superfreak."
— Daniel Oyefusi (@DanielOyefusi) October 24, 2025
Many Browns fans were likely hoping they would never have to hear about Ben Roethlisberger ever again.
Roethlisberger went 26-2-1 in his career against Cleveland, and Allen has a 1-1 record in his two matchups against the Browns.
Banda has had to strategize to stop plenty of strong quarterbacks like Maye this season.
Already, the Browns have faced Joe Burrow, Lamar Jackson, Jordan Love, and Aaron Rodgers to start the year.
Cleveland’s defense has withstood those heavy hitters and allowed the third-fewest passing yards of any unit in 2025.
The Browns currently rank first in the league by yielding 256 yards per game, showing how dominant the unit Maye will face can be.
Cleveland will play at Gillette Stadium on Sunday before enjoying a bye the following week.
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