FOXBORO, Mass. — Throughout this magical New England Patriots run that leaves them, shockingly, with the best record in the NFL as they venture into their bye week, there have been valid reasons for skepticism, or at least legitimate explanations for why it might not last.

The depth didn’t seem great. Their red zone play is a mess. The schedule was full of cupcakes.

But here’s the truth about all of it: None of that matters as long as Drake Maye is playing like this. The Patriots went through a wilderness of quarterback purgatory for all of four years and came out on the other side with a guy who might be the NFL MVP at 23 years old.

As the playoffs near, the reality is that all their flaws be damned — the Patriots can beat any team in the league when Maye is playing like this.

In a lot of ways, Monday night felt like the old days at Gillette Stadium. The quarterback was so good and the win so dominant that the discussion almost turned to the few flaws the Patriots have, like the red zone play or pass rush.

Their special teams dominated again. They turned a prime-time contest into a 33-15 snoozer on a night when the home crowd turned the place into a nonstop party in a game that never felt like the Pats might lose.

But just because he has done it so many times this season doesn’t make what Maye is doing any less impressive. Monday, he completed 24 of 31 passes for 282 yards, two touchdowns and no interceptions. The Patriots won their 10th straight game, their longest streak in a decade. They enter the bye in golden position to get the No. 1 seed in the AFC.

Everything is coming up Patriots this season, regardless of whether they’re missing two offensive linemen or their highest-paid defensive player. And that’s mostly because of Maye.

“I think he’s realizing what he can be and the impact that he makes on this offense and being the conductor,” coach Mike Vrabel said. “He’s hard on himself. I think that he challenges himself as well as his coaches. He means a great deal to this football team. … So, again, very appreciative that he’s our quarterback.”

What’s amazing about Maye’s latest game is how routine it all felt. It’s no longer jaw-dropping when he drops a perfect deep ball, like the 33-yard score to Kyle Williams. Or when he evades defenders, extends a play and hits a receiver deep downfield. It just feels … normal. Which is how things felt for so long here with a certain quarterback who had so much success.

That’s why it’s not the highlight-worthy plays that are sticking out to Vrabel.

“Some of the best plays, I think, are just the extensions, the scramble for a first down, the scramble and to stay in bounds there late in the game, knowing the situation, forces them to call a timeout,” Vrabel said. “And then not throwing an incompletion there at the end of the game and scramble. Unselfishly, he probably could have said, ‘Hey, I’m going to try to throw a touchdown,’ (but instead) go and slide and use the clock. Those are the things that probably don’t show up on the stat sheet.”

It’s true and fair to note that the Patriots have to get better in the red zone. And that their running game probably has some room for improvement.

But it’s also so impressive that the Patriots, a year after being arguably the worst team in the NFL, can beat anyone because of the way Maye is playing.

Of course, the first-round bye that comes with the No. 1 seed would be of massive importance given the injuries to defensive tackle Milton Williams and left tackle Will Campbell.

But if, for some reason, the Denver Broncos get in ahead of the Patriots, Maye’s play means they shouldn’t be afraid of a matchup against the Buffalo Bills or the Kansas City Chiefs or any other team.

“Shoot, just trying to be the face, trying to be the conductor,” Maye said of Vrabel’s saying the quarterback is realizing what he can be. “He calls it ‘the conductor of the offense.’ Just trying to be the face of the offense. You know, want the pressure. You want the ball in my hands. I tried to show that all year and throughout my career. That’s what I kind of feel like. I know they feed off of me and feed off of my energy and feed off of what I say to those guys. And what I say means something to them. So when adversity hits, I’ve got to respond. And from there I’ve got to be the same guy — same guy every day. Don’t try to change and just be myself. That’s what the guys like the most.”

It’s fair to note that the latest win was against the New York Giants, a two-win team that looks like a mess. Another cupcake on an easy schedule.

But it had a big-game feel. “Monday Night Football,” back in Foxboro.

If all goes according to plan for the Patriots, there are going to be a lot more big games here in the next two months. That starts with a visit from the Bills after the bye in a game that could get flexed.

After that, a playoff game. Maybe multiple.

And no matter how real the flaws that exist with this team, it doesn’t matter who the Patriots draw in the playoffs.

Because if Maye keeps playing like this, the Patriots can beat anyone.