How a Week 12 Upset Paved the Way for Drake Maye and the Patriots’ Super Bowl Run
A stunning upset in the 2023 NFL season, orchestrated by an unlikely hero, may be the key to the New England Patriots’ surprising Super Bowl appearance.
The New England Patriots’ improbable journey to the Super Bowl is largely attributed to the arrival of quarterback Drake Maye. Selected third overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye’s rapid development into an MVP contender in 2025 has propelled the Patriots back into championship contention. However, the path to acquiring Maye was far from certain, and a pivotal victory by a then-rookie Tommy DeVito played an unexpectedly crucial role.
“Oh, I’ve told him,” DeVito revealed to CBS Sports during Super Bowl Opening Night, acknowledging his understated contribution to the Patriots ultimately drafting Maye in 2024. To understand the full scope of DeVito’s impact, one must rewind to the challenging 2023 campaign. Both the Patriots and the New York Giants struggled, finishing with records of 4-13 and 6-11, respectively. Yet, DeVito’s emergence as a sparkplug for the Giants, leading them to a 3-3 record in his six starts, inadvertently altered the fortunes of both franchises.
In a twist of fate, DeVito led the Giants to a victory over the Patriots in Week 12 of that season. Had the outcome been different, both teams would have ended the year with a 5-12 record. This seemingly minor difference would have had significant consequences, as New York would have secured a higher draft pick, potentially allowing them to select Maye themselves. DeVito didn’t let Maye forget this fact, playfully reminding him shortly after joining the Patriots as a waiver claim in late August. “It was probably like my second day there,” DeVito recounted, “I was like, ‘Just so you know, you could have been in New York.’”
Here’s a look at the first round of the 2024 NFL Draft, highlighting the pivotal selections:
- Chicago Bears: Caleb Williams, QB, USC
- Washington Commanders: Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU
- New England Patriots: Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina
- Arizona Cardinals: Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State
- Los Angeles Chargers: Joe Alt, OT, Notre Dame
- New York Giants: Malik Nabers, WR, LSU
- Tennessee Titans: JC Latham, OT, Alabama
- Atlanta Falcons: Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington
- Bears: Rome Odunze, WR, Washington
- Minnesota Vikings: J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan
- New York Jets: Olu Fashanu, OT, Penn State
- Denver Broncos: Bo Nix, QB, Oregon
- Las Vegas Raiders: Brock Bowers, TE, Georgia
- New Orleans Saints: Taliese Fuaga, OT, Oregon State
- Indianapolis Colts: Laiatu Latu, EDGE, UCLA
- Seattle Seahawks: Byron Murphy, DL, Texas
- Vikings: Dallas Turner, EDGE, Alabama
- Cincinnati Bengals: Amarius Mims, OT, Georgia
- Los Angeles Rams: Jared Verse, DE, Florida State
- Pittsburgh Steelers: Troy Fautanu, OT, Washington
- Miami Dolphins: Chop Robinson, DE, Penn State
- Philadelphia Eagles: Quinyon Mitchell, CB, Toledo
- Jacksonville Jaguars: Brian Thomas Jr., WR, LSU
- Detroit Lions: Terrion Arnold, CB, Alabama
- Green Bay Packers: Jordan Morgan, OT, Arizona
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Graham Barton, IOL, Duke
- Cardinals: Darius Robinson, EDGE, Missouri
- Kansas City Chiefs: Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas
- Dallas Cowboys: Tyler Guyton, OT, Oklahoma
- Baltimore Ravens: Nate Wiggins, CB, Clemson
- San Francisco 49ers: Ricky Pearsall, WR, Florida
- Carolina Panthers: Xavier Legette, WR, South Carolina
The ripple effect of DeVito’s victory over New England extends beyond draft positioning. It begs the question: what if DeVito hadn’t secured that win? Would the Patriots have remained mired in mediocrity for years to come? Could a Drake Maye-led Giants team be the one vying for a Super Bowl title in Santa Clara? Would Brian Daboll still be the head coach in New York?
Despite the “what ifs,” DeVito believes Maye’s success was inevitable, regardless of his landing spot. “Yeah, definitely,” he stated when asked if Maye would have flourished elsewhere. “He has a really strong arm, very cerebral, athletic enough to move around in the pocket and extend plays and do whatever it is he needs to do. But I think that this mesh with Josh [McDaniels] is special.”
Now, after leading the NFL in both completion percentage and yards per attempt during the regular season, Maye stands on the cusp of history, aiming to become the youngest quarterback ever to win a Super Bowl. The improbable journey, sparked by a Week 12 upset, has brought the Patriots back to the pinnacle of professional football.
