Drake Maye received encouragement from another high draft pick after the New England Patriots’ 41-21 loss to the Houston Texans in his first career start on Sunday.
A year ago, C.J. Stroud, Houston’s No. 2 overall pick, found himself in a similar situation as Maye, a first-year quarterback tasked with leading a franchise after being selected early in the draft. While Stroud lost his first two starts, he eventually led the Texans to the playoffs. However, given the Patriots’ current struggles, with a 1-5 record, a similar turnaround seems unlikely.
Despite the team’s loss, Maye’s performance provided some optimism. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 243 yards, with three touchdown passes and an 88.3 passer rating. In fact, his three touchdown passes outperformed the combined total from the first five games of Jacoby Brissett, whose underperformance led Patriots coach Jerod Mayo to hand over the starting role to Maye.
“I was a little amped at the start for sure. The guys around me were great trying to settle me down, and Jacoby was a big part of that,” Maye said.
Maye made his debut as the Patriots’ starting quarterback at 9:08 in the first quarter. His appearance on the Gillette Stadium video board prompted a warm reception from the crowd.
“It gave me goosebumps going out there for the first time,” Maye said. “I’m in a great spot with the Patriots here and playing quarterback in the NFL.”
The game featured a mix of highs and learning experiences for Maye. His first-quarter interception came from an overthrown pass to DeMario Douglas. However, in the fourth quarter, Maye found Douglas for a 35-yard touchdown pass.
“I love how he gained confidence throughout the game and I thought it was a good first game for him,” Douglas said.
In the first half, Maye showcased his potential with a perfectly placed throw to Kayshon Boutte for a 40-yard touchdown, cutting New England’s deficit to 14-7.
“His competitiveness was great,” said tight end Hunter Henry, who also caught a touchdown pass from Maye in the third quarter.
Along with his passing, Maye also rushed for a team-high 38 yards, displaying his ability to scramble and extend plays, adding an extra dimension to the Patriots’ offense. However, he also learned the importance of ball security, as a sack in the third quarter led to a fumble, giving the Texans possession at the Patriots’ 10-yard line.
“I think I took a couple sacks where I could have thrown it away or thrown check-downs instead of getting a sack,” Maye said. “Just kept hurting ourselves, and in this league, these teams are too good to do that. But some great stuff to watch on film.”
After the game, Stroud, who had crossed paths with Maye, offered words of encouragement.
“Just be yourself, you know. Everything that got you here will take care of where you want to go and really just trust yourself. Trust that you’ll eventually figure it out. You’ll have bad days. You’ll have good days. There are days where you’ll look at yourself like, man, I’m the worst quarterback in the world, but it’s always about getting up the next day and keep going,” Stroud said. “I thought he played really solid. Definitely feel like he’ll get better and better as he keeps going.”
