Much ado was made about all of the first-round quarterbacks taken in the 2024 NFL Draft, especially those going in the top three.
USC’s Caleb Williams went first overall to the Chicago Bears. The Washington Commanders selected LSU’s Jayden Daniels while the New England Patriots took UNC’s Drake Maye.
On Sunday, the Patriots were in Chicago as Maye and Williams squared off for the first time as pros.
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During the week, Maye said he thought he’d have “a little extra” going up against Williams in their rookie duel.
It was also reported during the FOX broadcast that Maye, frustrated with how practice was going during the week, asked OC Alex Van Pelt if he could address the offense for the first time. Maye did, and according to the report, everyone reacted well.
How did the Patriots ultimately quarterback fare?
The Patriots came away with a 19-3 win. Maye (15 for 25, 184 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT) didn’t have to do as much as in previous games thanks to the run game being more impactful.
Maye: Like every game he’s played in thus far, there was some good, some bad, and some eye-popping moments from the Patriots rookie quarterback.
He made a few glaring mistakes, most notably throwing a late first-quarter pick. It was just a bad decision throwing on the run, and perhaps not seeing T.J. Edwards in front of Austin Hooper. That killed a drive.
He nearly threw another one toward the end of the half, under-throwing Kayshon Boutte on a deep route.
Then, in the fourth quarter, he threw behind Hunter Henry in the end zone. That pass almost resulted in a pick.
But in between those near miscues and the pick, Maye continued to show more play-making ability and magic.
Right before the half, he threw a rope to Boutte for 22 yards to set up a touchdown throw to Ja’Lynn Polk. The five-play, 41-yard drive with 35 seconds left before the half to set up a Joey Slye field goal was a thing of beauty.
Maye also led a 10-play, 70-yard drive that ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Lynn Polk in the second quarter.
The Patriots enjoyed a rare 13-3 lead at the half. It helped having the run game going a little bit with Rhamondre Stevenson gaining yardage with runs up the middle. The balance took a bit of pressure off Maye, who completed nine of 15 passes for 130 yards in the opening half. He also threw a touchdown, along with the pick. He was sacked once.
Having an effective run game also took the pressure off the offensive line to pass block as much as it had in previous games. Maye only made 25 pass attempts during the game.
There were no touchdowns in the second half, but Maye led two fourth quarter scoring drives that resulted in a field goals.
With the Patriots defense making Williams’ life miserable (nine sacks), Maye just had to manage the game in the second half. It was disappointing to see the offense go 1-for-5 in the red zone. Fortunately, Jerod Mayo’s team didn’t need touchdowns.
All told, the Patriots looked like they had secured the better quarterback from the 2024 draft as Maye won the battle of No. 1 picks.
