It was a moment of hefty concern early in the second half of the Patriots‘ win over the Titans in Tennessee on Sunday, as quarterback Drake Maye tucked and ran on a first-and-10 from the Titans’ 35-yard line, gaining six yards before he was sent hard to the ground by cornerback Roger McCreary. Maye landed squarely on his back, causing the back of his head to smack against turf, leaving him visibly woozy as he got up.
Maye had led New England to a 17-13 lead at that point, but was ordered to the NFL’s blue tent for examination for a concussion, and the Patriots subbed in backup Joshua Dobbs. He handed off to Rhamondre Stevenson for a loss of a yard, then made a nifty play to complete a 12-yard pass and keep the drive alive with a first down.
Maye returned, completed three passes and set up Stevenson’s four-yard touchdown run to give New England a 24-13 lead en route to a 31-13 blowout.
Drake Maye ‘Landed Awkward’
With the win under his belt, Maye was asked about having his bell rung and leaving the game.
“I feel all right, just gotta get down,” Maye said. “Just landed awkward and felt all right. But I feel good.”
Getting down is certainly one of the aspects of his game that Maye can expect to be on his docket in the next week. He was aggressive with his running on Sunday, which is not a bad thing. But he also needs to remember he is not a running back and should slide more.
Maye was 21-for-23 passing with 222 yards and two touchdowns, but he used his legs–especially early in the game–as a real weapon throughout. Maye rushed eight times for 62 yards, an average of 7.8 yards per carry.
Patriots Run Their Record to 5-2
Coach Mike Vrabel said that, yes, Maye will get a reminder about protecting himself. He has quickly elevated himself to the upper echelon of the league in terms of quarterback play, and the Patriots’ 5-2 record is largely down to him.
Vrabel described the moments after Maye was injured.
“I wait for the doctor to tell me how he’s doing, get the next guy in there, which is Dobbsie, get a play in there,” Vrabel said. “And then when the trainers tell me he’s OK, then we put him back in there. We’ll talk to him about protecting himself and being smart. But I think he’s tried to do that for the most part.”
Patriots, Drake Maye ‘Instilling Confidence’
Maye was outstanding on Sunday, but was quick to point out that his offensive line put in another good effort in pass protection and that his receivers made some quality receptions on the day–especially remarkable touchdowns by Austin Hooper and Kayshon Boutte.
“The guys around me, we are instilling confidence in each other, instilling confidence in myself,” he said. “Getting some wins under your belt helps with that. Just keep going, not changing throughout the week and just keep getting better.”
The Patriots have four straight wins and will attempt to make it five at home against the Browns on Sunday.
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