After the New England Patriots improved to 3-7 on the season via this past Sunday’s 19-3 win over the Chicago Bears, ESPN’s Mike Reiss mentioned how New England rookie quarterback Drake Maye “asked offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt whether he could address the offense after a subpar practice Wednesday that included him fumbling a snap.”
Maye ultimately spoke with the group, and injured center/team captain David Andrews noted during the latest edition of the “Eye on Foxborough” podcast that the first-year pro followed in the footsteps of franchise legend Tom Brady with his actions last week.
“Tom didn’t get up there every day and tell us what we needed to do,” Andrews explained, as Karen Guregian of MassLive shared. “There’s very few times in my career that I remember Tom ever addressing the offense. But they were at critical moments, critical points. So for [Drake] to get up there and say his piece when he did, I think guys appreciate that, guys listen to that. Guys respect Drake a lot.”
Maye began the season as a backup behind veteran Jacoby Brissett but received his first regular-season start in Week 6 when New England was 1-4. The 22-year-old later missed over half of the club’s Week 8 win over the New York Jets while in the NFL’s concussion protocol, so the victory over Chicago was really Maye’s first as a full-time pro QB1.
“It took me a minute to find my way and learn about leadership,” Andrews said about Maye emerging as the CEO of New England’s offense this fall. “As a young player, just learning that, feeling comfortable to do it, I think it’s a huge step in growth.”
According to Pro Football Reference, Maye began Tuesday ranked 16th in the NFL among qualified players with a 55.2 adjusted QBR on the season. Over his first six appearances (five starts), he completed 64.7% of 150 pass attempts for 954 yards with seven touchdowns and five interceptions. He also rushed for 233 yards and a score on 25 carries.
“You gotta earn respect in this league,” Andrews added about Maye. “You earn that by being a good player, No. 1, obviously. And then No. 2, how you carry yourself every day. He’s done a great job of that since he’s come in. So, that’s something he’ll grow into and learn and develop like every young player does.”
Maye will look to help New England earn a third win in four tries when the club hosts the 4-5 Los Angeles Rams this coming Sunday. As of late Tuesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Patriots as 4.5-point underdogs for that matchup.
