Drake Maye looks like he’s getting his confidence back, and the New England Patriots are seeing the results. The quarterback totaled five touchdowns (four passing and one rushing) in a 45-17 shellacking of the Las Vegas Raiders, giving fans many reasons to feel good about his progress after an ugly start to the season.

Maye’s strong showing was even more impressive because he played with so much confidence while leading the offense. After the game, Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane talked about Maye’s comeback and the energy he brought to the team.

“It's fun to see Drake smiling big on the sidelines. That confidence is obviously back, so to be able to watch him lead and move the ball down the field was fun,” Spillane said, according to Sports Illustrated's Mike Kadlick.

Spillane’s comments show how much Maye’s performance means to the team. Racking five touchdowns is impressive, but his confidence may be just as important for a team trying to find steady offensive success.

Drake Maye’s confidence gives Patriots a big lift

For a young quarterback, confidence can really change how he plays. Maye’s ability to move the ball and lead the offense is a great sign for New England after his confidence looked shot early in the season. Maye's mistakes were the biggest reason behind a disappointing 1-2 start, but he rebounded with a season-saving win over Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills last week.

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That performance against the Bills did still have a few miscues, but this performance against the Raiders was spotless. After seven turnovers and a number of fumbles in the first four weeks, he didn't have a single turnover in Week 5 and didn't even fumble once.

In addition to his terrific play doing a lot of talking, Spillane pointed out how Maye’s positive attitude stands out to his teammates. That kind of energy can help build trust in the locker room as the Patriots keep working toward their goals.

Maye seems to fully have his swagger back when just a couple weeks ago it looked like his season may spiral out of control. That makes New England a Super Bowl contender once again.