Is the Drake Maye hype enough to keep Josh McDaniels with Pats?

FOXBOROUGH — Josh McDaniels blinked his eyes, leaned his head again, and mimed a miniature explosion together with his palms as if his thoughts was blown by the query.

Would the Patriots’ offensive coordinator, who left on two separate events for head teaching gigs, thoughts sticking round to educate Drake Maye for the remainder of his profession? Or is he angling for a 3rd chew on the head teaching apple?

“I like residing in New England, that’s the in need of it,” McDaniels stated. “I simply attempt to give attention to now. Actually having fun with teaching for Mike [Vrabel] and his employees and the blokes now we have right here and this group.”

“It could be shocking if transfer my youngsters out of Westwood, come hell or excessive water. I don’t know if I’ll be right here or not, however it’s what it’s.”

The query got here 4 days after Maye’s first signature win as a Patriot. New England upset league MVP Josh Allen and the reigning AFC East champion Payments on Sunday Night time Soccer.

The hype behind Maye has by no means been greater throughout his skilled profession. He delivered in his first prime time efficiency, knocking off the final undefeated group within the league.

“I assumed our group continuusly tried to work onerous to deal with no matter will get thrown their approach,” McDaniels’ stated, when requested about New England’s game-winning drive. “Coach Vrabel has carried out an excellent job of placing these positions in entrance of us in observe and it’s simply a kind of eventualities the place you hope your group responds collectively to adversity, whether or not it’s dwelling or on the street.

“You’ve going to wish to do this over, and over, and over once more within the Nationwide Soccer League. I feel we’ve carried out that a couple of occasions this 12 months. We’ve realized numerous issues.”

Whether or not it was shopping for time together with his legs or stiff-arming a defensive lineman whereas launching a move to Stefon Diggs, Maye leaned on his improvisational expertise through the fourth quarter.

Some, as hall-of-fame quarterback Kurt Warner did on the Rich Eisen Show, would argue that these sorts of performs have been extra “yard soccer” than stable, constant quarterback play.

The numbers, up to now, would beg to vary, as Maye has accomplished 73.9 p.c of his passes and thrown 7 touchdowns in opposition to two interceptions. Nonetheless, there’s all the time the likelihood that the dangers Maye took might have performed out otherwise had he been barely much less fortunate.

McDaniels was requested about Warner’s feedback on the podium on Thursday.

“Gamers make performs. Typically the design of the offense both isn’t adequate on a sure play and a sure layer makes it and extends the play, or the protection does one thing to cease us from doing what we want to do initially and a participant makes a play.”

“I feel that occurs quite a bit in soccer, it simply occurs extra when it’s the quarterback. There’s occasions when there’s a stunt in move safety and we block it however we don’t block it the way in which we might have drawn it up in observe, essentially … I feel when the quarterbacks do it on the proper time, it’s very useful. It doesn’t all the time lead to a optimistic play, however hopefully what it does is it ends in a play that doesn’t harm us and offers us and alternative to increase the drive.”

McDaniels is 20-33 as a head coach between his stops in Denver and Las Vegas. He’s a six-time Tremendous Bowl champion as a Patriots offensive coordinator. He has a younger, athletic, ascending quarterback to work with.

Up to now, it looks like its too early to inform how lengthy his third stint in New England will likely be.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports activities Reporter

Khari Thompson covers skilled sports activities for Boston.com. Earlier than becoming a member of the group in 2022, Khari coated faculty soccer for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.