When looking at his career numbers in 13 total games against teams that finished the year above .500 (including the playoffs):

16 Fumbles: He has put the ball on the ground a staggering 16 times in just 13 games.

50 Sacks Taken: He has been dropped 50 times against winning opponents, averaging nearly 4 sacks allowed per game. In the 2025 playoffs alone, that number spiked to over 5 sacks per game.

29 Total Turnovers: Between his 13 interceptions and 16 fumbles against winning teams, he averages over 2 turnovers per game when facing top-tier competition.

The main reason Maye put up MVP-runner-up numbers in 2025 (4,394 yards, 31 TDs, 8 INTs) was a highly favorable schedule. In terms of points or yards allowed, Maye did not face a single top-10 defense during the entire 2025 regular season. He feasted on weak and average units, inflating his efficiency metrics.

The "easy schedule" excuse has vanished in 2026, as Maye has opened the season against back-to-back exceptional defenses—and the results have been catastrophic.

Through three games against tough defensive schemes (Seahawks, Steelers, and Jaguars), Maye has looked completely lost:

2026 Stat lines:  Passer Rating  58.6,  Touchdowns 1 (Tied for 33rd in NFL),  Interceptions 6 (Leads the NFL),  Total Turnovers  7 (Leads the NFL)!

When Maye isn't facing a top-10 defense, he plays like an elite pocket passer. But when a top-10 defense takes away his first read, his mechanics break down. He holds onto the ball too long (leading to sacks), struggles with underthrowing deep balls, and forces passes into tight coverage.

He is not and can never be considered an ELITE, OR TOP TIER QB UNTIL he proves he can decipher an elite defensive game plan CONSISTENTLY!  A one or two game outlier here and there just doesn't cut it!

JUST THE FACTS!

The same offense as last year??? Where are the rollouts and bootlegs?? How about Maye running and scrambling? Does it seem the offense made an effort to build on Maye's athletic ability or is there an effort to run the ball, specifically up the middle and lean on the defense to win games? Weird how Vrabel mentioned he wants this to be a physical team that can run the ball except there's no maulers on the o line that can move and d line and rb that aren't built to break away tackles very much. Funny enough the o line is better pass blocking but that's not what Vrabel said he wants this team to be.