SEATTLE — I'm not going to call it a debacle, even though it was, especially concerning Drake Maye.
It's the first game of the season in the new NFL. The Patriots lost the opener — at home — last year to the Raiders, who wound up owning the first overall pick by the end of the season. Didn't matter by the end of the season. Jerod Mayo beat the Bengals on the road in his first game. We know that didn't mean anything.
The only thing that matters is what the Patriots — especially Maye — learn from this one, and how they apply those lessons going forward.
This felt like the Steelers game last year, where Maye threw an interception at the end of the first half on the 2-yard line, and later lost a fumble in field goal range in a tie game. The Patriots won their next 11 games after starting the season 1-2.
Let's go through the second half, where the Patriots built a 10-0 lead against a backup quarterback, but ended up losing the game.
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1-10-NE 29 (14:53) D.Maye pass short right to H.Henry to NE 42 for 13 yards (J.Love).
The Patriots actually pass on first down off play-action and, perhaps in a sign of things to come, Maye throws to the inside of Hunter Henry, turning him right into a huge hit by Julian Love. Ball placement was not optimal.
1-10-NE 42 (14:18) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short right.
Alijah Vera-Tucker (mostly) and Jared Wilson can't pick up a T/T twist, and Maye has to throw the ball away.
2-10-NE 42 (14:11) (Shotgun) R.Stevenson up the middle to NE 48 for 6 yards (D.Witherspoon; D.Thomas).
3-4-NE 48 (13:30) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short left to A.Brown (N.Pritchett). NE-A.Brown was injured during the play.
Maye's feet are poor, parallel to the line of scrimmage, and he throws a poor ball to A.J. Brown, who ends up getting injured as a result.
"I threw one low to him and should have hit him in the chest, so I got to make a better play and make a better throw for him," Maye said.
1-10-SEA 37 (13:20) R.Stevenson left end to SEA 37 for no gain (E.Jones).
Patriots get a break with the roughing the punter penalty to maintain possession. Hunter Henry and Mack Hollins both blow their blocks on the edge for the run stuff.
2-10-SEA 37 (12:41) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short left to R.Stevenson (U.Nwosu). The incomplete pass was assisted by replay.
This swing pass to the left was nearly a disaster because Nwosu doesn't rush up the field, so Will Campbell doesn't have the opportunity to execute his cut block. Would be nice for Maye to see that, not throw the ball, and possibly hit Pop Douglas on the backside. This play could have been a pick-six or a 6-yard loss. They were lucky it was incomplete.
3-10-SEA 37 (12:38) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass short right to R.Stevenson to SEA 32 for 5 yards (J.Love; D.Witherspoon).
Patriots obviously just want to get into field goal range and take a two-score lead over Drew Lock. I have no problem with that. This play could have been better had Eli Raridon (had blocking issues all game) and Romeo Doubs executed their blocks.
Patriots go up 10-0, which feels like 20-0 with Lock on the other sideline. It's not pretty, but the Patriots are in control.
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An underrated play happens on the punt when Marcus Jones fails to field it. The ball bounces first at the 12-yard line. That's a big difference from the 6, where the Patriots end up and just hope to survive without a turnover.
1-10-NE 6 (9:29) R.Stevenson up the middle to NE 4 for -2 yards (J.Love).
There's some confusion on this play before the ball is snapped. The Patriots end up running into a terrible look, as Love is unblocked for a tackle for a loss. I wonder if this was one of the plays Maye referenced after the game about poor decisions he made.
"On the road, it's hard to get in and out of plays that you can get into," he said. "There's just plays out there where I can think of some, whether it's a run look or getting out of a run look that put us behind the chains. It's bad football."
2-12-NE 4 (8:54) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass short right to D.Douglas to NE 5 for 1 yard (R.Thomas).
Devon Witherspoon is not picked up on one of his blitzes, but Maye calmly finds Douglas. But safety Rodney Thomas, off the practice squad, comes up and makes a great open-field tackle against the slippery Douglas.
3-11-NE 5 (8:11) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass short middle to R.Stevenson to NE 11 for 6 yards (E.Jones).
This was supposed to be a fake in the flat to Douglas, hoping to get the linebacker to bite, and then hit Mack Hollins on a slant behind him. Ernest Jones drops right into the throwing lane, and Maye has no choice but to check it down to Stevenson.
A delay of game and punt gives Seattle its best field position of the game at the New England 43.
Cooper Kupp makes a ridiculous catch on 3rd and 3. But the Patriots hold to a field goal, 10-3, with 3:06 left in the third quarter.
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1-10-NE 32 (3:06) PENALTY on NE-M.Moses, False Start, 5 yards, enforced at NE 32 - No Play.
Well, that's not a good start. It's New England's first penalty of the game.
1-15-NE 27 (3:06) D.Maye pass short left to R.Stevenson ran ob at NE 44 for 17 yards (E.Jones).
Campbell picks up the Witherspoon left, and Stevenson is uncovered for a big gain.
1-10-NE 44 (2:29) R.Stevenson right guard to NE 45 for 1 yard (D.Thomas; U.Nwosu).
Love is in the box again, which frees up the linebacker to make the tackle. I wonder if Maye could have flipped this run to the other side.
2-9-NE 45 (1:48) (Shotgun) R.Stevenson left end to NE 49 for 4 yards (D.Hall; R.Thomas). PENALTY on NE-W.Campbell, Illegal Block Above the Waist, 10 yards, enforced at NE 45 - No Play.
Campbell misses the block on what should have been a good run, and then compounds it with the block in the back.
2-19-NE 35 (1:26) D.Maye pass short left to R.Stevenson to NE 46 for 11 yards (D.Thomas; E.Jones).
Nice job by Maye faking the swing pass to Doubs but finds Stevenson to give them a chance on third down.
3-8-NE 46 (:43) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass short right to D.Douglas to SEA 46 for 8 yards (R.Thomas).
Great call by McDaniels catching the Seahawks in a blitz, and the Patriots convert.
Ok, back in control now. Confidence is high as the quarter ends. Patriots are in Seattle territory. Time to get that field goal back.
1-10-SEA 46 (15:00) C.Kiner right end pushed ob at SEA 45 for 1 yard (D.Lawrence).
Ok, this toss play was a bad play. Need to junk that one. Mike Onwenu, Hunter Henry and Morgan Moses all struggle with their blocks. Another short gain on first down.
2-9-SEA 45 (14:27) D.Maye pass deep left intended for R.Doubs INTERCEPTED by N.Pritchett (R.Thomas) at SEA 3. N.Pritchett to SEA 33 for 30 yards (J.Wilson).
McDaniels must have