Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
Drake Maye made his long awaited first start on Sunday in a 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans. While the loss was tough, Maye’s performance was encouraging and it gave Patriots fans a glimpse into the future.
Here are five things I liked about Maye’s debut.
1. Arm talent: We knew Maye had elite arm talent coming out of North Carolina and it was on full display on Sunday. He threw a textbook fade ball to Kayshon Boutte for a 40 yard touchdown pass and then hit Pop Douglas in stride on a 35 yard touchdown pass. Maye does need to learn how to add and subtract on some throws and his anticipation could be better at times, but there is no doubt he has elite NFL arm talent.
2. Athleticism; Maye led the Patriots in rushing on Sunday which is sad but encouraging at the same time. He finished with 38 yards on 5 carries including an 11 yard scramble early in the game. Maye can extend plays with his feet and get himself out of trouble at times. His athleticism will help him protect himself. He does need to learn to slide.
3. Toughness: Maye got hit hard several times and was sacked four times. He took a beating but that was to be expected when facing a Houston defense that has two elite pass rushers in Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter. Despite taking the shots and getting up limping at one point, Maye stayed in the game and kept firing. The toughness he showed on Sunday will give him credibility with his teammates.
4. Firm grasp of the offense: It was obvious to me on Sunday that Maye has a firm grasp of the offense and he was ready to play. He canned a couple of plays early and checked into different plays. He also knew where to go with the ball post snap, even when there was pressure in his face. He was fully in control and the Patriots didn’t have to blow timeouts because he was unsure of a call or there was a communication issue. The mental part of the game will not be an issue for him.
5. Winner’s mentality: Maye wants to win. Plain and simple. After the game, his body language and demeanor was that of a competitor. When asked about the importance of his first start, Maye said that it is all about winning. He talked about being surrounded by winners and that is the expectation.
“I’m in a great spot with the Patriots here and playing quarterback in the NFL. Most of my friends and family after a loss, they’ll still worry more about the loss than kind of encouraging plays. That’s kind of the people I’m around. We care about winning. Just hate losing. That’s the big thing. I think there’s some good things to take away from it today, and I think back with Coach Mayo, we’ve got to play complementary football, and we haven’t done that.”
A desire to win and self accountability are two key ingredients to being a franchise quarterback. Maye exudes both traits.
Maye did throw two interceptions and the first one was bad, he essentially threw into triple coverage. He owned both after the game.
“Pretty simple. Pop over the middle and hit him a few other times, and that last time where he scored I hit him in stride. Just got to make better throws. I missed a little high, and you can’t miss high over the middle in this league. That’s what they always say; you can’t miss high over the middle, and tipped balls on the second one turned into interceptions.”
That is what you want to hear from your quarterback. Now the goal is to watch the film and fix the mistakes. Maye will do that.
It looks like the Patriots may have found themselves a franchise quarterback. It is early, but Maye has all the makings of one.