FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) Drake Maye hasn't been afraid to throw the ball deep down the field during his NFL career.

One of the New England Patriots second-year quarterback's first memories as a pro is from one of his first practices last season, when he connected on a deep pass with receiver Kayshon Boutte that beat cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

“You just remember things of throwing deep throws, seeing him come up on the right side of it and it just makes you want to keep going back to it. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” Maye said.

In his sophomore season, Maye has leaned into that ability to chuck it long. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, he has completed 13 of 17 passes (76.5%) that traveled 20 or more yards in the air, logging five touchdowns along the way.

It's a skill that has helped the Patriots (6-2) win five straight and take a step forward in offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels' latest return to New England. And it's come at the perfect time as the Patriots welcome Atlanta (3-4) and the NFL's top-rated passing defense on Sunday.

Through seven games, the Atlanta Falcons are allowing only 149.1 passing yards per game. Maye has passed for at least 200 yards in every game this season.

“He’s way better than I want him to be,” Atlanta defensive coordinator Jeff Ulbrich said of Maye. "He feels like a mini Josh Allen, a younger Josh Allen, in a lot of ways: his mobility, his arm, the way he can take the game over in both facets of the game. So, he’s going to be - he’s a problem.”

Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Maye's confidence airing it out has steadily increased since the preseason. That begins with the trust he has in his quarterback.

“I think he stays patient. I don’t think he panics and launches it or throws it seven yards out of bounds, but I think there’s been a lot of improvement from training camp and seeing some of those passes,” Vrabel said. “I don’t think there were as many completed in the preseason as there were in the regular season. I’m glad we saved them for the regular season.”

One of the main recipients of Maye's deep balls has been Boutte. A 2023 sixth-round draft pick by New England, Boutte is tied for the league lead with seven receiving touchdowns that traveled 20 or more air yards since 2024 (along with Ja'Marr Chase). AJ Brown, Quentin Johnston and DK Metcalf all have six over that period.

Four of the seven TD catches for Boutte have been this season.

A big storyline this week is the availability of Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and top receiver Drake London.

Both missed last week’s 34-10 loss to Miami. Penix was out with a bone bruise on his left knee and was replaced in the lineup by Kirk Cousins. London was inactive with a hip injury.

Both were limited in the first practice of the week and were characterized as day-to-day by Falcons coach Raheem Morris. But Morris was optimistic about Penix being ready to play this week.

“Obviously, he feels better than he did last week,” Morris said. “He obviously feels better than he did every single day with it being a bone bruise. That stuff gets better every day, so I feel really good about him.”

As much as the Patriots may try to challenge the Falcons through the air, this game could also turn on who wins the matchup on the ground.

New England is the only team in the NFL this season not to surrender 50 yards to an opposing running back through eight games. Atlanta running back Bijan Robinson is tied for fourth in the league, averaging 79 yards per game. That includes a season-high 170-yard game during Atlanta’s Week 6 win over Buffalo.

“A Vrabel-coached team is always going to be great. They’re always going to play sound. They’re always going to play really fundamentally fast, and we’ve got to be ready and prepared for that,” Morris said.

---

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl