These Patriots are lousy. The non-footie pajama-wearing folks who follow this team knew that going in. But what you wanted to see this fall and winter was improvement. Have you seen that? There's only been one area you can point to and say it has happened with any consistency, and that's been the quarterback play.
But Sunday's performance at Miami was a step back, even for the beacon of hope, Drake Maye. Oh sure, he wasn't solely responsible for a wretched offensive showing at Hard Rock Stadium, but he contributed to a 34-15 loss to the Dolphins, leading the Pats to only one offensive touchdown on their 11 (non-kneel down) drives.
"It's tough anytime you're losing," said Maye when asked how he's dealing with a 3-9 record. "I hate losing more than I like to win. Losing sucks. I told some of the guys on the sidelines to remember this feeling. We got our butts whipped today. I think it's only up from here."
Maye added two more turnovers to his season total, which now sits at 12 (five fumbles, seven interceptions) in seven starts, one of which was cut short (vs. the Jets). The rookie is second in turnover-worthy plays (4.6%, trailing Dak Prescott's 4.7%). That number has come down over the last two weeks, which speaks to his growth as a decision-maker and, to a degree, the plan that Alex Van Pelt has given to him.
"Hard to balance it," said Maye of being a playmaker while also trying to take care of the ball. "Trying to make plays and keep drives alive. Third and long or last touchdown, 4th and 15, just trying to make something happen. Give us a little life...it's tough. It's frustrating. I know we got better football in front of us. This wasn't our best today."
The 22-year-old started well. Maye (22-of-37, 222 yards) was dealing on the Pats' second drive, looking every bit like the best rookie signal-caller in the league over the last month. He kick-started the possession off a bootleg, reversing field and scrambling for a half-dozen yards. Later, Maye settled into a passing rhythm, hitting Antonio Gibson on a 14-yarder. It was a check-down, but the running back wasn't the first, second, or third option. Maye kept the play alive with his feet, then showed poise to take the easy money. On the next play, he ripped a throw to Austin Hooper between the linebackers, then escaped pressure (there was a lot of it) to run for another nine yards. The fact that he kept his head up looking for options showed he was trying to play quarterback first and foremost before becoming a ball carrier, which was evident as recently as the Chicago game.
The drive fell apart after two penalties on one play (Hooper was offsides, and Demontrey Jacobs held, which was accepted) put them well behind the sticks, and Jerod Mayo ordered a safer approach after Maye missed Rhamondre Stevenson on second down, throwing the ball behind the running back. Joey Slye missed the 45-yard field goal, but you figured the Pats offense would continue to move the ball, as they have in previous weeks. It didn't happen.
The Pats went three-and-out three straight times to end the half. The tackles couldn't handle the heat, and even Maye's athleticism couldn't save him. He was sacked twice and hit two more times during that stretch. But Maye also missed DeMario Douglas on a third down throw down 14-0, which would have extended the drive. It's at least the third time in three weeks the two haven't been on the same page.
"That's on me. I just missed him," said Maye. "We got a chance to go score, put some points on the board, and keep us in the ball game, really. So, more just mad at myself. We caught them in a blitz, a boundary blitz, and really, no one was covering him. I just gotta hit him. That's an easy throw. Just missed it."
At 24-0 nothing, Maye committed the first of those two turnovers. Zach Sieler beat Vederian Lowe to the inside (Lowe is dealing with a bad right shoulder that had him as a question mark for this game). Maye tried to get out of Sieler's grasp but got loose with the football, coughing it up. Linebacker Jordyn Brooks scooped it up and returned it to the Pats' 25-yard line. Two plays later, Jaylen Waddle danced through the defense for a touchdown, and that was, for all intents and purposes, the ball game (though I'd argue it was over by the half).
"Yeah, (on) the fumble, just probably tuck the football and go down or find a way to get it out," said Maye, recalling the play. "I think I maybe could have spun out of it, kind of reversed out of it, and maybe could have escaped it. But other than that, can't try swim move a guy with the football. It was just bad. Gotta protect the football. Preached it all week. I didn't do that out there."
Maye did make his now-expected ridiculous play of the game, the aforementioned 4th and 15 touchdown pass to Hooper. He somehow avoided a near sack by Chop Robinson, continued to roll to his right, and then chucked a throw to the all-alone Hooper just shy of the goal line, all while two more defenders invaded his space.
"Just trying to make a play and try to put points on the board," he said.
Maye's interception came at the 5:17 mark of the final quarter after the Pats had forced the Dolphins to punt. The score was 31-15, and I guess that still offered the Pats an opportunity for a miracle. But Jalen Ramsey came screaming off the edge on a corner blitz and was unimpeded to the quarterback. Maye drifted backward and tried to loft an off-balance pass over the defensive back, but Ramsey got a piece of it, and linebacker Tyrel Dodson secured the pick.
Maye dismissed the play, noting it was deflected and that there was not much he could do about that. He's right. The play around him was putrid. The offensive line was dysfunctional (four sacks, eight QB hits, and a fleet of penalties). It was almost as bad as it was during the Jacoby Brissett era (brief as it was), and with subpar wide receivers (the non-Pop Douglas version had five catches on 12 targets for 43 yards), Maye is forced to do it all. He's proven capable of handling such an enormous burden. Still, today's performance is just another example of how bad this roster is and how much work must be done to ensure that this quarterback becomes the success he's shown he can be, and not another cautionary tale of mismanagement that's doomed so many others