FOXBORO — The Patriots’ season opener was on Drake Maye’s shoulders, and the second-year quarterback couldn’t ship within the 20-13 loss to the Raiders.
Finally, Maye carried out equally to how he performed final season. He had some spectacular moments, particularly within the first half and whereas focusing on vast receiver Kayshon Boutte, however he additionally took a delay of sport penalty, struggled beneath stress and wasn’t in a position to put the Patriots in place to win within the second half.
Maye was simply 4-of-11 for 45 yards with an interception and a fumble whereas dealing with stress on Sunday. After going 14-of-20 for 150 yards and a passing landing to DeMario Douglas within the first half, Maye was simply 16-of-26 for 137 yards with an interception after halftime.
The Patriots crumbled after Maye’s turnover, which got here on the opening drive of the third quarter. Maye was hit whereas he threw and sailed the ball over Stefon Diggs and into Raiders security Isaiah Pola-Mao’s diving arms.
Head coach Mike Vrabel took it straightforward on his quarterback after the sport.
“With out trying on the tape, I assumed there have been some good constructive performs and actually good command of what we have been doing, after which there have been occasions the place possibly we or he missed any individual, and we’ll should see,” Vrabel mentioned. “It’s a problem enjoying quarterback on this league. We’ve obtained to assist him out. Now we have to be extra balanced. Now we have to make use of our run actions and be capable of run the soccer. It’s exhausting to show it right into a drop-back passing sport on this league. That’s simply the details. Once they’re up two scores they usually’re of their third down package deal, we simply don’t need to ever dwell in that world. All of us might be higher, whether or not that’s me, the teaching workers, Drake, Will [Campbell] and everyone that you simply requested about, that’s the angle that we’re going to take.”
The Patriots averaged simply 3.3 yards per keep on 18 makes an attempt. 4 carries and 11 yards got here from Maye. The Patriots ran the ball simply 3 times for 10 yards within the second half.
Maye appeared to battle at occasions within the parts Sunday, when it was raining all afternoon at Gillette Stadium. On his fumble, Maye was beneath stress, however the ball appeared to easily slip out of his hand behind his throwing movement.
The 2024 first-round choose blamed the climate, not nerves or feeling too amped up, on an inaccurate go focusing on DeMario Douglas to open the sport.
“I feel simply adjusting to the climate on the market,” Maye mentioned concerning the play. “I felt good on the market right this moment. I felt like I had a superb rhythm, obtained in a superb rhythm that second drive. From there, simply it was a boundary throw to Pop [Douglas], and simply missed him a bit of excessive. However from there, I assumed I used to be seeing it effectively, and I don’t suppose that was actually the — I felt fairly good on the market on the primary drive.”
Within the second, half, the Patriots punted 4 occasions, and two of these drives have been three-and-outs. They gained only one first down on every of the opposite two drives that resulted in punts.
“I feel we’ve simply obtained to be higher,” Maye mentioned of the second-half efficiency. “I feel my determination on the primary drive popping out was the one which killed the drive, after which from there, type of from then on simply obtained to get the primary first down. I feel as soon as we get the primary down, we moved the ball effectively and obtained in a rhythm, and I feel it’s an adjustment from halftime. I feel I’ve obtained to do a greater job of getting the fellows and making throws. I assumed the fellows up entrance battled exhausting. I feel they blocked fairly effectively up entrance, I assumed … and from there simply make some higher throws, be extra correct, and I feel getting factors out of that first drive would have been big.”
Amongst Maye’s 16 incompletions, one was dropped by Douglas, one was batted on the line, one was a throwaway and one got here when he was hit whereas throwing, so PFF gave him a 72.1 adjusted completion share on the afternoon.
Maye faces his subsequent take a look at Sunday towards the Dolphins. Maye carried out equally Sunday to how he performed this summer season in coaching camp practices and preseason video games. Maye made some “wow” throws on Sunday — PFF charted him with two big-time throws — however he lacked total consistency, and he should be taught to take higher care of the soccer.
