FOXBOROUGH - The kid has all the makings, doesn't he?
For the second time in three weeks, Drake Maye showed you about everything you want to see in a franchise quarterback. He looked like a seasoned veteran, seeing the field well, attacking the soft spots in Gus Bradley's defense - and there are always soft spots against his Cover 3 foundation - and only using his legs when the moment demanded it or the sea parted. Yet, it still wasn't enough on a day in which the Maye-led offense finished with a season-high 422 yards and punted just once - and that came in the fourth quarter.
"It was heartbreaking," said Maye from the podium, trying to work through the emotions of another close loss, adding, "I think I can only speak for the offense. I think we got back on track and played a solid football game. For myself, watch the football and watch the tape. I still think I left some plays out there. I just hate it myself. I pride myself on trying to lead this team to wins, and we didn't accomplish that. That's probably the biggest thing."
The wins have been elusive for Maye and the team since he took over as the starter in week six, but his progress has been evident for anyone to see. You went from watching an inexperienced 22-year-old playing like that - inexperienced - to one who is growing from the pocket weekly. His accuracy, an issue this summer and even in his first few starts, is improving, and his leadership is tangible.
There was a play in the first half when Mike Onwenu left defensive tackle Grover Stewart unblocked in the hole, and Rhamondre Stevenson was taken down for a three-yard loss (drive that made it 9-7, Pats). As Joey Slye attempted, and hit, a 54-yard field goal, Maye went over to Onwenu on the sidelines and apologized, saying he wasn't loud enough when he changed the play at the last second, leading Onwenu to block the wrong guy. Onwenu took the blame himself, but that's what you want from your quarterback.
"Glad to be playing for that guy," said Kendrick Bourne. "Can't wait to see what the future holds."
Maye's 41-yard run in the second quarter was the second-longest run by a Patriots QB since 2000 (behind only Cam Newton's 45-yard jaunt in 2021). That came against man - rare for Bradley but more workable against this set of pass catchers - but from that point forward, it appeared the Colts rarely went back to that well. And that, my friends, is the benefit of having a quarterback with oodles of athleticism and way more speed than he gets credit for. Yes, that drive ended in a field goal - too many did - but it highlighted Maye's playmaking ability and his toughness; he eschewed going down earlier on the run and added at least another 10 yards.
The young quarterback had so many big boy throws in gotta-have-it situations on Sunday that it's hard to list them all, but I'll try (working backward).
On the 4th quarter drive that pushed the Patriots ahead until the game's closing seconds, Maye ripped an 18-yard completion to Bourne on 2nd and 10 from the Colts' 43-yard line. It was open, but he saw it and showed no fear, putting the ball right on the veteran wide receiver. On the only third down situation in that march, he correctly identified Austin Hooper working on the safety in the right flat and put the ball right in the chest of the 9-year pro much to the delight of a fan base that has adopted the tight end as one of their own, with chants of "Hoooooooooop" filling the air. Maye appeared to finish the drive by finding more time on a scramble and hitting Bourne for a touchdown, but the play was erased by an illegal formation call on DeMario Douglas. No matter as Antonio Gibson scored, then Maye hit Kayshon Boutte right at the goal line for the two-point conversion.
On his touchdown pass, a 16-yarder to the aforementioned Hooper, I'll let the players explain it.
"That throw to what's his name? Hooper was one of one," admired Bourne. "Now, I don't know how he saw that. Where he put it was phenomenal."
"it was just a corner route," said Hooper. "They were playing 3 (cover three). I believe the back went to the flat and took the flat defender, post outside takes the corner, holds the safety and then Drake gave me a good ball there and we were able to convert.
"He's a good player. He does a good job."
There was also Maye's third-and-six strike to Hunter Henry midway through the third quarter. The Pats were in position to kick a long field goal, but Maye realized he had his tight end isolated on the safety and whipped a beauty well before Henry had even made his break. The ball was perfect.
Unfortunately, that same drive ended with Maye's worst play, at least watching the game live. No surprise that it came in the red zone, which proved to be the Pats' Achilles heel.
They were just 2-of-6 scoring touchdowns, and when you lose by one point, how can you not obsess over those situations.
In the opening quarter, poor spacing on a mesh concept left Bourne and Henry in the same area, and the Pats had to kick a field goal (Bourne admitted he covered up Henry, and that can't happen). They had a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line on their next trip, but back-to-back holding calls (Onwenu and Layden Robinson) erased a Stevenson touchdown and pushed the offense so far back that they had to settle for three more.
To end the half, Slye missed a chip shot from 25 yards, and then late in the third quarter, on the same drive where Maye and Henry had executed so perfectly, they failed while knocking on the door. Maye had Henry coming across the middle around the one-yard line, but they didn't see it exactly the same way. The throw was a touch behind and with velocity. Still, the ordinarily surehanded Henry had the ball go off his mitts not once but twice, and safety Julian Blackmon secured Maye and the Pats' lone turnover of the game. Coulda, woulda, shoulda…
"Look, it's just unfortunate," said Jerod Mayo when I asked about the interception. "Again, just in the red area in general, I would say from the entire game we just weren't good enough. As the field starts to contract like that, I mean, the details and everyone has to be on the same page, and we just didn't do well enough."
"Just tried to get to him quick, and hopefully he gets in," added Maye. "I think I put it on the wrong shoulder. I think if I put it on the opposite shoulder away from the defender, and I think that's maybe a completion there. Just, unfortunate it got tipped up. Just a bummer."
"That's a play I gotta make," said Henry. "That's on me."
Henry finished the game with seven catches for 75 yards, and Maye went 24-of-30 for 238 yards. Hard to fault either, Maye in particular. He was as responsible as anyone for the Pats having the lead late in the fourth quarter. But that's how this year has gone, and now, with the bye week upon us, it's time for the kid quarterback and his teammates to rest up and continue building an offense that's getting harder for opposing teams to handle.
"I think we're dynamic," said Maye. "I think we can hurt them in the pass game and the run game. We can do different things. We have play-action. We have boot. We have running the football. We have throwing it down the field. We have guys making plays, run after catch. There's another layer to making more explosive plays, but we saw that a lot from our run after catch today."
There are many more steps to take - scoring more touchdowns in the red area first and foremost - but Maye is proving he can be that elusive foundational piece. Those in charge of this organization will determine what happens around him, but Maye intends to prove he's worth the faith we're showing him.