FOXBOROUGH – Jerod Mayo has seen the development from afar.

When Josh Allen entered the NFL in 2018, he was a raw quarterback with big features. A Wyoming recruit, Allen completed 52.8 percent of his passes that first season, with 10 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. In 2019, Allen took a big step in his development by completing 58.8% of his passes, finishing with 3,089 yards to go with 20 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

In 2020, everything changed.

In Allen’s third season in the NFL, he earned Pro Bowl and second-team All-Pro honors while finishing second in MVP voting. At age 24, Allen completed 69.2% of his throws and finished with 4,544 yards passing with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions.

Mayo joined Bill Belichick’s staff in 2019, where he worked as the inside linebackers coach and eventually as the de facto co-defensive coordinator with Steve Belichick. THE Patriots The coach has seen up close how Allen has transformed into one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL.

“It was more about making money for him,” Mayo said. “Early in his career, because he has a big arm, he has the athletic ability to run. He was always trying to make the big play. I thought Josh Allen’s evolution happened when he took profits.

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The hope is that Drake Maye will follow Allen’s lead. Looking at how this played out for the Bills quarterback, there are several things that Patriots can learn from Allen’s development.

As Mayo noted, Allen’s decision-making has improved significantly, but it’s also worth noting what the Bills quarterback was working with.

In Allen’s first season in the NFL, his top receivers were Zay Jones, Robert Foster and Kelvin Benjamin. In year two, the Bills signed two veteran receivers, John Brown and Cole Beasley. The Bills recognized that Allen needed more help to take the next step. In his third season, Buffalo traded for All-Pro wide receiver Stefon Diggs and also drafted wide receiver Gabriel Davis. That’s when he became an MVP candidate.

On paper, Maye’s receivers don’t look as bad as the Bills in 2018, but that season, Buffalo had two receivers (Jones and Foster) averaging 40 yards per game. The Patriots don’t have a receiver averaging 40 yards per game. Hunter Henry is the only pass catcher to do so (45.4).

Like the Bills did with Allen, the Patriots need to find Maye a true No. 1 receiver.

That’s not the only thing that has helped the Bills quarterback. In Allen’s third season, he was sacked 26 times, or on 4.35% of his dropbacks. This figure represents a considerable improvement over his first two seasons. Allen was sacked on 8.05% of his throw attempts as a rookie. In his sophomore season, he was sacked 38 times (7.62% of his attempts).

This season, Maye has been sacked on 8.82% of his pass attempts.

In 2020, the Bills added former All-Pro right tackle Daryl Williams and drafted veteran right guard Brian Winters. At this point, the Patriots need to find at least two new tackles to protect Maye.

The Bills also surrounded Allen with good coaches. Led by defensive-minded head coach Sean McDermott, Allen was developed by offensive coordinator Brian Daboll. His quarterbacks coach, Ken Dorsey, also held that position in the NFL.

When Daboll left for New York, the Bills were easily replaced by Dorsey. Once it didn’t work out with Dorsey, the Bills fired him after two seasons. He was replaced by Joe Brady, an experienced offensive coordinator who replaced Dorsey as the Bills’ quarterbacks coach in 2022.

It remains to be seen whether Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt will survive this first season in New England. If the Patriots choose to make a change, it’s a decision they can’t afford to screw up (like Bill Belichick replacing Josh McDaniels with Matt Patricia).

When it comes to Maye, it’s easy to see why he comparisons drawn with Allen.

Although he’s not the same size as Allen (6-5, 237 pounds), Maye isn’t a bigger quarterback at 6-4, 225 pounds. Like Allen, Maye struggled with accuracy in college. His strengths, as the Bills quarterback, are that he is a larger, mobile quarterback with a strong arm.

This season, Maye’s numbers are a bit better than Allen’s first season. Maye’s completion percentage (68.5) is currently eighth in the NFL and that’s much better than Allen’s rookie season (52.8). Through 10 games, Maye’s touchdown percentage (4.2%) and interception percentage (3.2%) are slightly better than Allen’s first season (3.1%) and 3.8 %).

“I think I have a long way to go,” Maye said when asked about the comparison to Allen. “What a player he is, playing at MVP level. I think the most important thing is the progress he has made. I think what he went through, whether it was coming out of college or his first few years here, I feel like everyone just didn’t give him the credit that he deserved. .

“Now you can kind of see the full fruit of what he’s doing and the level he’s playing at. Just, like I said, it’s fun to watch, and I think I have a long way to go to get closer to playing at his level.

If Maye wants to reach that level, he’ll need help. The Patriots would do well to follow the Bills’ lead.