New England Patriots
“With what we noticed this yr — it is just the start, not the tip.”
Cam Newton has been one of the crucial vocal critics of the Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye through the 2025 season.
The previous Panthers and Patriots QB usually took Maye and the Patriots to activity as they began to stack wins through the season — harping on the team’s “easiest road” to Tremendous Bowl LX, labeling them as “fool’s gold”, and discrediting Maye’s role in getting New England only one win away from a title.
Given Maye and the Patriots offense’s struggles in their season-ending loss to the Seahawks on Sunday, it felt like a on condition that Newton was going to twist the knife even additional throughout his subsequent media look.
However throughout Monday’s episode of ESPN’s “First Take” Newton saluted Maye for the strides he took throughout a breakout sophomore marketing campaign within the NFL.
“Opposite to what folks could consider about my relationship or how I really feel about Drake Maye, I’m extraordinarily pleased with how he dealt with himself all through the entire season. I’ll say this, Drake Maye — message to you. I’ll permit myself, if I’m you, to really feel each emotion of this recreation,” Newton mentioned. “Are you dissatisfied? You need to be.
“However perceive this, this recreation wasn’t simply on what you probably did. Perceive that this season was not a failure. You made leaps, strides and bounds to changing into an MVP candidate. However perceive this probably the most. You don’t begin right here subsequent yr. Subsequent yr is a brand new season. Subsequent yr is a brand new chapter. Subsequent yr is a brand new scenario. However the objective remains to be the identical. Profitable the Tremendous Bowl.
“Enable your self, as soon as once more, to really feel each emotion. Undergo an offseason, get ready, get wholesome, and perceive that — with what we noticed this yr — it is just the start, not the tip.”
Maye struggled through the playoffs and particularly in Tremendous Bowl LX towards Seattle. He accomplished 27-of-43 passes towards the Seahawks for 295 passing yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions whereas shedding a fumble.
Most of these passing totals had been accrued throughout rubbish time within the fourth quarter, whereas Seattle generated 17 factors off of Maye’s three turnovers.
Maye was knocked for seven fumbles (4 misplaced) and 4 interceptions over 4 playoff video games, and was sacked at the least 5 occasions in every of these postseason bouts.
Regardless of his woes within the postseason, Maye was the MVP runner-up through the common season — ending only one first-place vote and 5 whole factors behind Rams QB Matthew Stafford.
The longer term ought to nonetheless be vibrant in New England shifting ahead with Maye below middle, with the 23-year-old signal-caller trying to put Sunday’s exhibiting within the rearview mirror.
“I feel you should utilize it as a studying expertise,” Maye said Tuesday. “It’s an expertise I’ll have an opportunity to recollect for the remainder of my profession, the remainder of my life. However it’s an opportunity to go and battle again from one thing that didn’t go your means, you would like would’ve gone completely different. Offers you gas to keep in mind that and it offers you one thing to work for.”
“We got here up brief,” he added. “Didn’t execute or play how we needed to, however there’s a whole lot of issues this group did properly and we are able to use it down the street. We get again in OTAs, or get again in coaching camp, what may be the distinction? What can we do some additional?”
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