FOXBOROUGH - All it took was one throw to remind you that there is hope in New England even after another loss, the Pats fifth in six games this year, and 18th over their last 23.
And if I'm being fair, it wasn't even Drake Maye's best (he let it bleed more toward the numbers. You want that ball on the outside shoulder more toward the sideline) But, the 40-yard scoring strike to Kayshon Boutte with just 11 seconds remaining in the first half gave some belief that maybe - sooner rather than later? - this organization will be back on its way up instead of mired in a leaky basement that smells funny.
"Give him a chance. Texans kind of squatting on us a little bit," said Maye of the touchdown pass. "They came out and challenged us and played man. Tried to let one ride. Give Boutte a chance. A nice play. Pretty cool. I think both of our first touchdowns. Pretty cool moment. This group, we can push the ball down the field, make plays in the passing game. Keep repping it, see what you like, and I gotta make the throws. Bottom line."
Per Next Gen Stats, Maye's first-career touchdown pass ball traveled 51.7 yards in the air, the longest completion by a Patriots signal caller in the past three seasons. For an offense in desperate need of a jolt - hell, get the paddles and clear - that throw and the day in totality should have accomplished just that. Yes, it's far from perfect, but it's a start.
"I thought he showed a lot of poise," said Jerod Mayo. "I thought he went out there and controlled the huddle, got those guys out of the huddle, and once again, made some plays. It's definitely encouraging. From a team-wide perspective right now, we let him down. It was his first game, and I feel like I let him down. I'm sure all the coaches feel like we let everyone down. We've just got to be better."
More on that in the days to come, but for now, all eyes on Maye (20-of-33, 243 yards). What surrounded that throw was almost exactly what you should have expected from the rookie. There were missed throws, sloppy footwork, and uncertainty over what he was looking at. The first-rounder took some hellacious hits - that strip sack could have hurt his shoulder, elbow, ribs, and/or head. Yet Maye eventually pulled himself off the turf and avoided the blue medical tent, ready to step into the breach repeatedly.
And yes, there were other moments you haven't seen from a Pats QB in a mighty long time. Maye's sidearm laser to DeMario Douglas in the right flat to start the first scoring drive was what you were promised and saw at points this summer on the back fields at Foxborough or in the preseason. It was off-platform, a slingshot that allowed Pop to catch and run. Later in that series, he threw a perfect ball on a stick route to Ja'Lynn Polk, but the fellow rookie dropped it (there's been too much of that from him this fall).
"Yeah, I think the two-minute time is a great time for a quarterback to kind of get some passes and get some plays that we're comfortable with under my belt," said Maye, adding, "I think Pop down the sideline, that's a great play on his part, and just get the guys the ball, and that's the biggest thing I've got to do - get them the ball and let them make plays."
On their second scoring drive, Maye's athleticism was in full effect. He felt backside pressure off left tackle Zach Thomas, moved up in the pocket, and then out altogether. But instead of looking to take off, he kept his head up. Hunter Henry smartly crossed Maye's line of vision after his defender got lost, resulting in an explosive good for 30 yards.
"He's super athletic," said Henry. "You know, he's very mobile. You've got to be ready at all times to be able to kind of convert into a scramble drill kind of mode, and at that moment, he was able to find me and make a play. He's a playmaker. He's a great player. He's only going to get better."
A couple of plays later, Maye should have had a touchdown pass to Douglas but threw it well behind the shifty slot receiver. Pop made a hell of a catch and gained 17 yards, but he'd still be running if Maye put it where he was supposed to. No matter because the Pats eventually found the end zone off a nice play-action fake that sucked up safety Jalen Pitre and left Henry all alone in the left flat.
In the fourth quarter, that same throw I was critical of Maye for not making above - the slant to Pop - was there again versus cover 1 (man), and this time, he put the ball in the perfect spot. Douglas didn't have to slow down. He caught it in stride and lunged late for the end zone, breaking the plane for his first career TD catch. Three touchdown passes in one game? In this economy? Unheard of (Jacboby Brissett had two in the season's first five weeks).
“Yeah, he’s like a natural leader, he has aura," said Kendrick Bourne. "That’s important in football. Some people have aura, some people don’t, so he’s kind of one of those. He doesn’t have to try, he’s that guy. It’s important, you can tell when you see him. He passed the eye test, so when he’s in the huddle, he knows what he’s doing. You can feel it, it’s important.”
"He got that little swag to him," added Douglas. "He came to the huddle and said, 'Let's go.' I'm like, "Let's go. I'm ready with you.' Run through a wall for him...we got his back."
For a team that hasn't won since the opener and just lost a game by 20 points, there was a different vibe to the postgame locker room than in recent weeks, at least from the offensive side of the room. After scoring two touchdowns in their previous three games, there were a few more smiles and positive energy.
That, my friends, is hope, and that is what this 22-year-old from North Carolina brings.