Drake Maye is the Patriots' everything. And when you consider what he's surrounded by - not nearly enough talent and coaches doing their jobs for the first time or the first time in a long time - you get exactly what happened today in Tennessee. Moments of brilliance surrounded by questionable decisions, bad sacks, bad ball security, and, in the end, another loss, this time, 20-17 to the wretched Titans, who did everything they could to keep you in the game.
Maye nearly allowed the Pats to overcome a litany of mistakes, many by him, to force overtime as the clock struck zero in the fourth quarter. Maye capped an 11-play, 50-yard drive in 1:45 (with no timeouts), buying time, escaping a potential sack to buy more time, and finally flinging up a prayer to Rhamondre Stevenson as two defenders launched themselves at the kid quarterback. It was nearly 12 seconds from snap to throw, the second-longest play since Next Gen Stats has been tracking such things (2016). Stevenson smartly came back to the ball, securing it in the end zone.
"Doing whatever I can (on the play)," said Maye. "I think they zoned it off, and they're doubling the inside guys. We had a bunch concept, and back line, and I think Hunter ended up getting rid of bounds and just trying to keep the play alive. Make a play. 'Mondre (is) good for running back out there to play like a receiver and make a good play, but end up coming up short. So yeah, that play really doesn't matter at this point."
But as he taketh, so too did Maye giveth away. Just three plays into his first-ever overtime drive, trailing by three, Maye decided to take a deep shot for Kayshon Boutte. He was throwing it into the wind, and not only did the ball lack enough distance on it, but it also needed to be thrown more vertically. Instead, the toss bled more toward the middle of the field, allowing safety Amani Hooker to snag his second interception of the game, and that was that. Say goodbye to one week of smiling, happy people. The Pats record is now 2-7.
"Yeah, first down," recalled Maye of the play. "And see the safety. I think we're throwing into the wind. I gotta put some more on it. And it's just a dumb decision, something you'd like to have back. And especially in that situation there, you can go - at least tie it up - like I said, (from) our own 40. Sometimes, the best play is to throw away."
"He's a guy out there trying to make a play," acknowledged Jerod Mayo. "He's trying to make a play. And I think sometimes, as well as he has played, sometimes you forget how young he is, and he's going to continue to develop, and he'll be a good quarterback in this league."
But when the entire burden is on a 22-year-old, what do you expect? The Pats can't run unless it's Maye scrambling. He's now led the team in rushing in three of his four starts, and had he not gotten hurt against the Jets, it'd be four for four. Sunday, he had 95 yards on the ground, the third-highest total from a signal caller in franchise history. The Pats' running backs finished with 15 yards on 12 carries. Over the last three weeks, it's 85 yards on 49 rushes. That is gross. A terrible recipe for offensive success.
Then there are receivers who don't separate consistently. They talk as loud as anyone, and we had to hear how they had a "great" week (per Mayo). Their on-field actions don't back up the words. They're just a hodge podge of who the hell knows what (at this point). Second-round rookie Ja'Lynn Polk had two penalties and no catches. Fellow classmate Javon Baker didn't play much, and when he did, there was nothing to notice (at first watch).
Pass blocking took a step back after the decision-makers decided to switch up the starting lineup (and would later return to the previous week's lineup because they couldn't block Jeffrey Simmons). I remember GM Eliot Wolf telling us he thought they could support a rookie quarterback. Please. The rookie is holding this roster and coaching staff up, a ridiculous burden that, for now, Maye seems capable of shouldering.
"Drake is just phenomenal," said Kendrick Bourne. "He keeps showing it week in and week out...when you have someone like that, it encourages you to go harder."
"The guy is special, man," added Hunter Henry. "The way he competes. Proud of his fight."
But for Maye, there was no solace in those words or his (sometimes) inspired play. He turned it over three times, including his first interception on an ill-advised back-footed throw, and then got stripped sacked in the final quarter when he felt the rush, but not enough to keep two hands on the ball (he may have been trying to flip the ball, as he did successfully a couple times). Yes, Maye showed no fear after being in concussion protocol - he cast a little shade on the game-day process once the spotter called down last weekend - and the life he has given this team is tangible. But there will be growing pains, and we just witnessed them.
"So, just got to be better," reflected Maye. "Some decisions that I made throughout the game that would have impacted the outcome. I take that upon myself. Those guys battled up front, especially those guys up front. The receivers are battling, I think. Shoot, I just got to find a way in the fourth, and I came up short. So maybe go back and learn from it. And especially me, I got to take advantage of these reps I'm getting in the game, and I got play better."
He does, but the arrow is pointing up, and if he could just get some help, Sundays like there will become a thing of the past sooner rather than later.