Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Drake Maye gave the Patriots a shot Sunday. The same can’t be said for his supporting cast.
"I think Drake was probably our leading rusher today. You never really want your quarterback to be the leading rusher."
COMMENTARY
For the first time in 48 years, a Patriots QB gained at least 95 rushing yards in a single game.
Drake Maye’s repeated instances of shredding the Titans’ defense ultimately wasn’t enough to lift New England to a win on Sunday in Nashville.
But Maye gaining chunk yardage on the ground is starting to become a common occurrence during his rookie season in the NFL.
In three of his four starts as the Patriots’ QB, Maye has finished the game as the Patriots’ leading rusher.
The lone game where he didn’t was during New England’s 25-22 win over the Jets last week — a matchup where Maye only played a little over a quarter before exiting with a concussion. And even in those limited reps, he still only finished two yards short of being the team’s leading rusher.
Advertisement:
Those numbers might stand as a testament to Maye’s underrated mobility and dual-threat capabilities, with Davon Godchaux labeling the rookie “Josh Allen 2.0” after New England’s eventual 20-17 overtime loss to the Titans.
But Maye’s status as the team’s leading rusher also stands as an indictment on the lackluster roster around him, a reality that was once again reinforced during Sunday’s frustrating defeat.
“Have to be able to run the football,” Jerod Mayo said after Sunday’s loss. “Obviously, that was disappointing. I think Drake was probably our leading rusher today. You never really want your quarterback to be the leading rusher. And that’s in all facets.
Advertisement:
“We’ve got to be able to move guys off the line. Their defensive line did a good job. They were hard to handle inside, especially [Jeffery Simmons], and we knew that coming into the game.”
It wasn’t a perfect afternoon for Maye by any means.
Even with his 95 rushing yards, 206 passing yards, and last-minute touchdown throw in regulation, the rookie was still knocked for three turnovers. His strip-sack fumble in the fourth quarter led to a go-ahead Titans TD with less than five minutes on the clock, while his deep heave down the field that was picked by Amani Hooker ended things in overtime.
Granted, some of those miscues are part of the growing pains that come with young QBs trying to find their footing in the NFL ranks.
And given the lack of support around him, few would begrudge Maye for doing whatever he could to get his team’s listless offense rolling on Sunday.
“We never want to go out there and turn the ball over,” Mayo noted. “I mean, we came into the game saying we need to get turnovers and not turn the ball over.
Advertisement:
“That’s the recipe for us to win football games, and we just didn’t do that today. [Maye will] learn from his mistakes. That’s one thing you want to go back to, a characteristic. He learns from his mistakes, and he’ll be better for it.”
While Maye gained 95 yards on the ground, New England’s actual running backs (once viewed as a strength for this offense) were left stuck in the mud against Tennessee.
New England only recorded 110 rushing yards on Sunday, which meant that designed runs for Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and JaMycal Hasty only accounted for 15 total yards off of 12 carries.
Stevenson averaged just 1.6 yards per carry in the loss, and has now averaged less than 2.7 yards per carry in each of his last three games.
To make matters worse, New England’s defense once again struggled to contain the run on the opposite side of the ball.
After coughing up over 170 yards rushing yards in three straight games during Weeks 5-7, New England only gave up 167 rushing yards to the Titans, keeping the ball out of Maye’s hands for extended stretches.
Advertisement:
During the Titans’ lone scoring drive of overtime, eight of Tennessee’s 13 plays were rushes, accounting for 41 total yards. Just like the Jaguars in London, New England’s defense simply couldn’t stop Tennessee’s ground-and-pound approach on play after play.
“I’ve always felt that stopping the run and running the ball starts with your attitude, starts with your attitude, starts with your mentality, and we tend to do better on both sides of the ball,” Mayo noted.
There were far more issues that plagued New England beyond Maye’s turnovers.
Even with Maye’s ability to duck pressure in the pocket, New England’s patchwork offensive line still gave up four sacks and nine total QB hits. The Patriots were flagged for another eight penalties (58 total yards), while fellow rookie Ja’Lynn Polk finished with zero catches … and a pair of flags.
But after the game, Maye put the onus on himself for the loss.
“Those guys battled up front, the receivers are battling. Shoot, I was just glad we found a way there in the fourth and just came up short,” Maye said. “So you go back and learn from it, and especially me, and I gotta take these and take advantage of these reps that I’m getting in the game, and I gotta play better.”
Maye was far from perfect on Sunday. But the rookie at least gave his team a chance to leave Nashville with a W.
Advertisement:
That’s a claim very few of his teammates can make after yet another step backward for a 2-7 roster.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com