He led the New England Patriots to a sixth-straight win, but Drake Maye is still “frustrated” and wants “some plays back,” particularly one involving a bad “habit” the second-year quarterback is vowing to clean up.
Maye was referring to a key turnover he was responsible for during Week 9’s 24-23 win over the Atlanta Falcons. The mistake happened late in the first half at Gillette Stadium, when Maye lost the ball after being hit by Jalon Walker, leading to a Falcons recovery and eventual touchdown.
New England’s QB1 was trying to run for extra yards, but Maye admitted he should’ve taken the sack, rather than “trying to break tackles on guys I have no chance of breaking a tackle on,” when speaking to reports after the game on Sunday, Nopvember 2, per 98.5 The Sports Hub’s Alex Barth.
Trying to extend plays at the risk of a turnover is nothing new for Maye. His tendency to play hero ball is part of what makes him a special talent, but it also carries a high risk Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel has already called out earlier this season.
Maye appears to be taking heed of his coach’s warning. At least based on Maye admitting “he needs to break his “habit” of trying to do too much with pass-rushers by him,” according to Barth’s colleague Matt Dolloff.
The latter also included remarks from Maye acknowledging “he should’ve slid on an early scramble where he took a high hit. ‘Cutbacks are probably not in my repertoire.’”
Protecting himself and the football remain high on Maye’s to-do list, but he’s still winning games. The 23-year-old’s arm talent and mobility have these Patriots looking like a legitimate contender, but bad habits could yet spoil the party.
Drake Maye Knows There’s Work to Be Done
Maye’s ongoing issues with fumbles are a worry, but it’s a good sign he’s self-evaluating and taking the need to fix bad tendencies seriously. The Patriots need him to because the rest of Maye’s game is operating at a high level.
Despite some erratic moments against the Falcons, Maye still threw a pair of touchdown passes. He connected with wide receivers Stefon Diggs and DeMario Douglas, for scoring strikes.
In the process, the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft “extended his streak of games with 200+ passing yards and a 100+ passer rating to eight, tying for the second-longest streak in @NFL history and the longest in franchise history (Tom Brady, 2007),” per Patriots Communications.
Keeping pace with peak Tom Brady is becoming a happy habit for Maye and it’s a good sign for the future of the Patriots. Maye still knows he and his team got lucky against the Falcons, who will rue Parker Romo missing an extra point that would’ve tied the game at 24.
Patriots Seized Good Fortune
They’ll take the win, but as Maye told reporters, “It’s tough in a game where you win and you can feel in that locker room that these guys know we can play better,” per MassLive.com’s Lauren Campbell.
Maye also admitted “deep down I’m frustrated and I want some plays back,” via Marc D. Capello (h/t 98.5 The Sports Hub). The sentiment is clear for Maye, who knows the Patriots were far from their best.
Playing better won’t be a stretch for a 7-2 team, even when they face the tough and resourceful Tampa Bay Buccaneers on the road in Week 10. Maye can expect to be under pressure from a Todd Bowles-coached defense that loves to blitz, so he’ll need to show he’s learned from his mistakes against the Falcons.
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