What Drake Maye said about toughest Patriots teammates, turnover issues in Miami
"Playing in different spots and not complaining. Just going out there and playing ball."
Drake Maye has already endured his fair share of bumps and bruises this season.
The rookie QB is no stranger to contact, especially during several scrambles that have ended with him scrapping for extra yardage instead of sticking to a slide.
But the 22-year-old Maye made one thing clear during his weekly call-in to WEEI on Monday: He’s not the toughest guy on the 2024 Patriots roster.
So who is?
Maye couldn’t limit his response to just one player.
“Toughest guy on the team?” Maye said on WEEI’s “Afternoon Show”. “I think Jahlani Tavai has shown it. He’s really battled through some injuries and gone out there each and every week and he’s playing his butt off. So I’d probably say Jahlani. Offensively, I would say probably Big Mike [Onwenu]. I think Big Mike has been battling in different spots. Playing in different spots and not complaining. Just going out there and playing ball. So probably those two.”
Tavai, who has developed into a run-stopping linebacker in New England, has earned plenty of reps this season — especially with New England losing its top linebacker in Ja’Whaun Bentley to a torn pectoral muscle in Week 2.
As Maye noted, Onwenu has been utilized all over the field for New England this season — be it at right guard or right tackle. He even spent one week logging reps at left guard as Jerod Mayo and New England’s coaching staff searched for answers to correct the team’s porous O-line.
Onwenu has played 100% of the snaps on offense this season, serving as one of the few regulars on an offensive line hampered by poor play and injuries.
Along with his commentary on New England’s roster, Maye was also asked about whether he thinks he has a turnover problem at this early stage of his NFL career.
Even with Maye’s potential and encouraging production on the field (1,458 passing yards, 286 rushing yards, 11 total touchdowns), he has been knocked for 11 turnovers over eight total games.
In total, Maye has thrown seven interceptions while also fumbling the ball five times — four of which were recovered by the opposing team. Those turnover woes plagued Maye again during Sunday’s 34-15 loss to the Dolphins.
Along with getting strip-sacked in the third quarter (leading to a Miami touchdown just two plays later), he tossed an interception in the fourth quarter that all but snuffed out any hope of a Patriots comeback.
“As myself, looking back, looking back at the plays, I definitely think from the standpoint of turning the ball over, you can’t do that in this league,” Maye said. “Right now, I wouldn’t say it’s a problem. Most of my turnovers aren’t being careless, throwing the ball careless into difficult spots.”
While Maye believed his fourth-quarter interception was tipped before it was picked off by Tyrel Dodson, he did blame himself for not taking care of the ball on the strip sack that further put momentum in Miami’s favor.
“I put the ball in harm’s way, not protecting the football,” Maye said. “But I wouldn’t say it’s a problem.”
Maye will need to limit his turnovers as the Patriots enter the final stretch of the 2024 season. Still, New England has far more pressing issues than Maye’s play on the gridiron.
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