Drake Maye Shows Flashes During First Up and Down Boot

Drake Maye Shows Flashes During First Up and Down Boot

Patriots

Drake Maye threw three touchdowns and committed three turnovers in his first NFL start.

Drake Maye Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

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Drake Maye’s career began with an up-and-down performance in his first NFL start in a 41-21 loss to the Texans on Sunday.

He became the first Patriots quarterback to throw three touchdowns in a game since Bailey Zappe last December against the Steelers. He also committed three turnovers and suffered several big hits.

The Patriots opted for a conservative offensive approach early, running the ball on the first two plays of Maye’s first drive.

The runs were loaded, putting Maye in an obvious passing situation on third-and-long. Houston blitzed and a nervous Maye threw the ball over receiver DeMario Douglas’ head and into the waiting arms of a Texas defender for his first career interception.

New England found itself facing a double-digit deficit early, after allowing touchdowns on Houston’s first two drives.

But the rookie quarterback showed composure and cut the deficit to seven points just before halftime with a beautifully placed touchdown pass to fellow player Kayshon Boutte. It was the first career touchdown for both players.

Maye appeared to have DeMario Douglas open over the middle on a post route, but he saw Boutte sprint toward the end zone with a step on his defender and threw a perfect deep pass with his feet planted in the Patriots’ Pat Patriot logo at midfielder.

Things quickly got out of hand for the Patriots in the second half. Houston’s Danielle Hunter rushed off the rim, passed Demontrey Jacobs and slammed into Maye who fumbled the ball. Tight end Austin Hooper also fumbled after making a low throw and trying to keep the play alive, allowing the Texans to punch the ball away. Maye also had a screen pass at the line of scrimmage that Houston caught for an interception.

A positive for the Patriots offense was Maye’s ability to get the ball to Douglas. They connected for a 35-yard touchdown pass in the fourth quarter, and he finished with 6 catches for 92 yards. New England had struggled to get the speedy receiver involved for weeks, but he had his most productive game of the season with Maye under center.

Maye’s mobility has added a new dimension to this Patriots offense. He was able to fight for first downs on several occasions. He was also able to buy a little more time to throw. He still took his share of big hits playing behind an injury-decimated offensive line, but his ability to move made a noticeable difference.

Even though the score was lopsided, the rookie quarterback showed encouraging signs in his first start. He took risks and made some mistakes. He also made explosive plays that this offense has been lacking for a long time.

This offense is still a long way from keeping up with CJ Stroud and the Texans, but it looked more explosive with Maye than in the previous five games.

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Khari A Thompson

Sports journalist


Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.