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 doesn’t think he has ‘too much on his plate’ and more from WEEI interview
"Being a quarterback in the NFL, there's going to be a lot on your plate no matter who you play for."
Patriots QB Drake Maye made his weekly appearance on “WEEI Afternoons” on Monday, with the second-year pro touching on topics that ranged from his rocky season debut on Sunday to Bill Belichick banning Patriots scouts at his alma mater.
Here are three takeaways from his interview:
Does Maye have ‘too much on his plate’?
It was a rocky showing for Maye and the Patriots during their season-opening loss to the Raiders on Sunday afternoon.
Maye completed 30-of-46 passes for 287 yards with one touchdown and one interception in the 20-13 loss. At face value, that stat line doesn’t map out a disastrous showing from the young QB.
Advertisement:
But, after Maye completed 14-of-20 throws for 150 yards and a touchdown in the first half, both he and the Patriots’ offense struggled coming out of halftime.
After Maye was knocked for an interception on New England’s first drive of the third quarter, New England’s offense flatlined — with Maye completing 7-of-12 passes for just 51 yards over the Patriots’ next four drives. New England posted just two first downs on those four drives, with all four sequences ending with punts.
Speaking on WEEI Monday morning, Mike Vrabel was asked if the Patriots were perhaps putting too much on Maye’s plate out of the gate in terms of the intricate offensive system that Josh McDaniels utilizes as the team’s offensive coordinator.
Advertisement:
“I think we have to evaluate that. We have to find out, is there something there? We have to figure out what our guys do best, and then do that,” Vrabel said.
Later that day, Maye pushed back against the assertion that New England might have to lighten his workload when it comes to learning McDaniels’ revamped offense.
“I wouldn’t say that. I think at the end of the end of the day, being a quarterback in the NFL, there’s going to be a lot on your plate no matter who you play for,” Maye said. “So, just being better as a group, being better with the details, establishing the run game and playing off the run game.”
Limiting miscues
The most pivotal sequence in Sunday’s game was Maye’s turnover in the third quarter — given the clear momentum swing that the Raiders used to score 13 unanswered points in the second half.
After holding the Raiders to just 84 yards and zero points over their final five drives of the first half, New England’s defense labored after Maye’s interception — relinquishing a five-play, 56-yard drive that ended with a touchdown run by rookie running back Ashton Jeanty.
Advertisement:
Even though Maye appeared to be hit as he threw on that eventual pick, he stressed on Monday that he can’t sail throws if his team wants to consistently execute on offense.
“Part of this league is making throws and getting hit. So, I think whether I think I had [Stefon] Diggs open, I need to follow through,” Maye said. “From there, there’s times this happened where, maybe I can go make a play instead of stepping up there, or maybe settling in the pocket more and not stepping up into it.
“It’s unfortunate. I wouldn’t necessarily say it was a miss. I feel I would say if I had it back, I would follow through more, don’t kind of step up and have myself affected by the D line.”
Curtailing turnovers stands as a major hurdle for Maye if he wants to take that next step as a potential franchise fixture in Foxborough. Despite the promise that he showcased as a rookie in 2024, Maye was knocked for 16 turnovers (10 interceptions, six fumbles lost) over his 13 games as a starter.
“I think that he wants to be, at times, perfect, and [we] need to get past that,” Vrabel said of Maye on WEEI Monday morning. “We all have to get past that. You need to be precise, not perfect.
Advertisement:
“If you make a mistake, it’s the reaction that you have to the mistake that everybody sees. And then they’re like, ‘Oh wow, that was a mistake.’ We have to clean our reactions up. Our responses have to be much better. And then getting into the flow, because you see really good timing and precision and accuracy, and then we see some other misses.
“I just want the better performance [to be] more consistent, and continue to grow as a leader and make sure that there is a command to what we’re doing — this is the situation, this is the play. Those are the things that I’m focused on.”
Maye’s take on Belichick banning scouts at UNC
Given Maye’s standing as a former Tar Heel, it came as little surprise that the Patriots QB was asked about Bill Belichick’s decision to ban a Patriots scout from attending UNC’s practices earlier this summer.
“It’s unfortunate for them. But it’s coach Belichick’s program, so he does what needs to do,” Maye said.
Speaking after the Tar Heels’ win over UNC Charlotte on Saturday, Belichick — who has developed an icy relationship with the Kraft family since his exit from Foxborough in January 2024 — confirmed the reports that he didn’t allow a Patriots staffer to view practices at Chapel Hill.
“It’s clear that I’m not welcome there around their facility, so they’re not welcome at ours,” Belichick said. “Pretty simple.”
Advertisement:
Despite the animosity between the Patriots and Belichick, Maye said that he’ll still cheer on his former team this fall.
“I check in on them and watch their games. So just pulling them for them,” Maye said of the Tar Heels, who are now 1-1 on the season under Belichick.
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