Drake Maye’s performance was just about the only bright spot in the New England Patriots’ overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans.
The rookie quarterback forced OT with a miraculous touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson as time expired. He led the team with 95 rushing yards — the third-most by a Pats QB in franchise history — on eight carries.
While his three turnovers — including the game-ending interception — show plenty of room for improvement, it was a gutsy performance by New England’s prized third-overall pick. Players on both sides came away impressed with what they saw from Maye despite the final result.
“Well, mixed bag from Drake Maye, but it’s clear that this was an impressive enough day to have everyone take notice,” our Phil Perry said on Patriots Postgame Live. “I watched closely how Maye left the field today, and not only his own teammates coming up to him, congratulating him after the fact probably for keeping them in the game. But guys like Jeffery Simmons, the best player on the Titans, making sure that he finds Drake Maye before he goes back to the locker room to tell him he’s going to be a hell of a player.
“I think that’s the kind of performance that is going to gain a lot of respect around the league not only from opponents but from his peers that he won’t even play this year as well.”
As impressive as Maye was, Sunday’s game was another unpleasant reminder of the dire situation around him.
Not including Maye’s 95 yards, Patriots rushers totaled just 15 yards on 12 carries. Meanwhile, New England’s defense had no answer for Tennessee’s rushing attack. The Titans rumbled for 167 yards on 39 carries (4.3 yards per rush).
Maye was hit nine times, including four sacks, in the loss. It also marked another rough day for the Patriots’ lackluster receiving corps.
Perry believes far too much has been put on the young signal-caller’s shoulders in Year 1.
“I would just say this when it comes to big-picture with him, the good news is you have a player that can elevate an offense,” he added. “I asked (wide receiver) Kendrick Bourne about him after the game. He said, ‘We have something in him that can make everyone better.’ That’s great. The bad news is he is their offense right now. They are asking way too much of him. He’s 22 years old. He is not somebody who is a five-year starter at the college level. Didn’t even get to play all four years in high school because he lost his senior year to COVID.
“They should not have to put as much on his shoulders as they’re putting on his shoulders right now. He accounted for 95 percent of their offense today. That’s not OK. That’s not where they should be. So all well and good, they’ve got their quarterback of the future, congratulations to them and he looks like he’s going to be a great player. They need to do a hell of a lot more to surround him with talent if they want him to be his best.”
Perhaps the Patriots will find Maye some help before Tuesday’s NFL trade deadline. Regardless, Eliot Wolf and Co. will have a busy offseason as they look to build around their franchise QB.
Maye and the Patriots will look to get back into the win column next Sunday when they visit the Chicago Bears.
