Why Gennaro picked the Patriots: Matthew Stafford remains the MVP favorite, though Drake Maye is making a compelling case for the award in a wildly efficient sophomore season. Leading the NFL in completion percentage (70.9) and ranking second — by a hair — in yards per attempt (8.71 to Sam Darnold’s 8.73), Maye has lifted New England from worst to first in the AFC East. But the Patriots have yet to sew up the division title, with the streaking Bills hot on their heels. And seeing how New England entered this week with a decent chance to secure the AFC’s No. 1 seed — 31%, per Next Gen Stats — Mike Vrabel shouldn’t have any trouble stimulating his upstart squad against a clearly overmatched opponent. Not to mention, the Pats enjoy kicking the Jets when they’re down. Vrabel’s steeped in the rivalry from his playing days. Motivation won’t be an issue. But health could be. New England suffered a scourge of injuries in Sunday night’s comeback win at Baltimore, testing depth on both sides of the ball. That said, the Jets are bottoming out, losing by more than three touchdowns in each of the past three weeks. During that span, the Brady Cook-led offense has averaged an NFL-worst 3.6 yards per play while Aaron Glenn’s defense has given up 37 points a game. Merry Christmas, New England! The Pats should roll, even in their banged-up state. Which brings me back to Maye. Having just produced his first 300-yard passing game as a pro, the 23-year-old was asked about its significance on Monday. He delivered the “I care about winning” routine like a seasoned vet. But even if Maye isn’t actively chasing stats, New England’s roster carnage might require him to put the team on his back and put some numbers on the board. Trevor Lawrence just dropped six touchdowns on the Jets two weeks ago. Time to pad that MVP candidacy, Drake.
