NASHVILLE — In the waning moments of regulation at Nissan Stadium, Drake Maye authored the most memorable Patriots moment since Tom Brady left New England.
With zeroes on the clock and his team down by seven, Maye would not be denied after taking the snap from the Tennessee 5-yard line. The rookie quarterback had the ball for over 11 seconds as he waited for somebody — anybody — to get open in the end zone.
Maye weaved through the backfield and avoided would-be tacklers like a Siberian Husky that wasn’t ready to leave the dog park. He eluded any captors coming his way for a football eternity. Finally, Maye stepped into a hit as he threw and still lofted a strike to Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone, forcing overtime.
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“Drake is just phenomenal,” Kendrick Bourne said after a 20-17 loss to Tennessee. “He’s resilient. He’s always shown that — but that was different. I don’t know how many people he made miss, but as a wideout on that play it was tough. That might’ve been the longest play I’ve ever been a part of.”
In addition to the touchdown pass, Maye finished with 95 rushing yards, most by a Patriots quarterback since Steve Grogan picked up 103 in 1976. Bourne wasn’t the only veteran teammate thrilled with what he saw from the No. 3 overall pick in Tennessee.
“Man, that looked like Josh Allen 2.0,” Davon Godchaux said. “He looked amazing — especially when he runs the ball. I didn’t even know the kid had burners like that. When he’s running the ball, he looks amazing. I’m excited to play with him and watch him the next couple of years.”
The growing pains were there too, of course. Maye threw a pair of interceptions, including a game-ending deep ball that was under-thrown into double coverage.
“I see the safety, I think we’re throwing into the wind, I’ve got to put some more on it. Just a dumb decision,” Maye lamented. “Something you’d like to have back, especially in that situation.”
But this season is for making those mistakes.
Wins and losses don’t matter for the 2024 Patriots as much as growth. That’s at the heart of a rebuild. Now Maye just needs to learn from that mistake and not repeat it. Sunday in Tennessee was more about the good from the rookie than anything else.
“That guy is special,” Hunter Henry said. “Just the way he competes, the way he plays, the way he continues to fight. I’m excited to continue to go out there and play with him. He’s very special. Got a lot of talent and will only continue to get better. Learn from those situations and learn from those experiences. Proud of him, proud of his fight.”
After four rudderless seasons following Brady’s departure, it looks like there’s a light at the end of New England’s dark tunnel. It’s been a tumultuous transition period filled with forgettable afternoons and some downright bad football, but now there’s a path forward. This isn’t a Cam Newton Band-Aid year or Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe, neither of whom could put a team on their back. Maye isn’t just a piece of the Patriots offense right now. He’s carrying it.
There’s a clear future with Maye under center, provided Eliot Wolf and company find help for him. But they have their quarterback, and in the NFL, that’s the most important thing.
“We’ve gotta just build. We have to build,” Bourne reiterated. “He gives us a lot of potential to grow, and I think that’s the greatest thing about Drake. He’s doing things that we don’t really see at a young age. So I’m very excited and I want to be better for him. I think everybody understands in our offensive room that we have something in him that can make everybody better.”
