FOXBOROUGH - For a second straight week, Mike Vrabel said he was happy, but he said it through gritted teeth, bothered by his team’s inconsistent play and a growing injury list.
“We're lucky to win is probably where I'd start, but we're happy that we won,” he said, minus a smile. “Fortunate, whatever. We just didn't play very well. We tried to beat ourselves, but we made enough plays in critical situations to help us get through here today.”
Offensively, Drake Maye played a massive role in willing the Patriots through. The 24-year-old is growing up right before our eyes. Six weeks ago in Seattle, he admitted he lost patience, an absolute no-no for a quarterback. Maybe that was the memory of what the Seahawks did to him in the Super Bowl, or the lingering effects of an uneven playoff performance, period. That didn’t go away in the following weeks (Pittsburgh and Jacksonville), but Maye has certainly found his footing, fighting against what he says is his instincts.
“I always tell my wife, since I got married, I've never sat on the couch and watched the most TV. I've grown up with brothers and always want to be on the move and just be doing something, not just hanging around,” Maye said. “So, it's kind of the same thing in the pocket. I feel like I got time but I'm still a little bit antsy in there and antsy to move. I feel like times last year I kind of moved out of the pocket, out of clean pockets, a lot of times, and was trying to make some plays on the move.”
Not on this day. The Jets dramatically reduced their blitz rate (from 40 to 22% in the first half, though it ticked back up late) and, at times, rushed just three; Maye not only let his receivers seek openings but helped