Drake Maye’s first start as an NFL quarterback has come and gone. With three touchdowns and two interceptions in a 20-point loss to the Houston Texans, his first game as a New England Patriots starter was a roller coaster.
So how is the Patriots rookie feeling after the game? Here’s everything he had to say, including his thoughts on his 40-yard touchdown — and advice he received from veteran Jacoby Brissett:
Can you take us through the day from start to finish? How much did that first 40-yard touchdown settle you down and get you going into your day?
Maye: “We just hurt ourselves today, I think that’s the biggest thing. We put the defense in some bad spot deep, in some bad spots. With how good our defense is, that’s the least thing we can do. Giving the other team the ball in the red zone, it just makes it hard on them. It starts with me. I wish I could have some throws back – trust me – the first interception. After the touchdown, felt like we were kind of back in it. Out of halftime, there goes another turnover in the red zone. Kept on hurting ourselves. In this league, teams are too good to do that. But some great stuff to watch on flim. Some times out there was a lot of fun offense. That’s what I told the guys in the end, the guys in the huddle. We just gotta make a few more plays and play complementary football. That’s what coach Mayo just preached, play complementary football, and we didn’t do that today.”
As the game went on, did you feel it slow down for you?
Maye: “Yeah, and I was a little amped to the start for sure. I think the biggest thing is having those guys around me. They’re great, pumping me up, coaches, defense. The guys around me were great, trying to settle me down and Jacoby was a big part of that, settled me down on the sideline and pregame. Once you get that first drive, it was three and out, probably could have checked it down on the under. It’s tough to look back and learn from. But I also felt like we did some good things.”
What happened on that first interception?
Maye: “Pretty simple. Pop over the middle and, I hit him a few other times, and wasn’t until that last one where he scored that I hit him stride. Just gotta make better throws. Missed a little high, and can’t miss high over the middle in this league. That’s what they always say, can’t miss high over the middle. Tipped balls, on the second one, turned into an interception.”
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What went better in the second half than the first half?
Maye: “(Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) is preaching fast starts. I wouldn’t say it’s very pleasing when you start out with a turnover in the red zone to start the first have and a three-and-out to start the first drive. So just little things like that, that we’re emphasizing on offense, and we just haven’t been able to execute. I think the things that come back are the things we’re emphasizing and it starts with me. We need to execute. But we kinda got going there a little bit, made some throws, some other guys made some plays. Like I said, we got guys that can make plays. The O-line’s battling their butt off and getting injured, coming back, always checking on me. Those guys fought their butts off tonight.”
First full 60 minutes in the NFL, how are you feeling after the game?
Maye: “The Houston Texans are a good football team. They’ve got a good defense, good guys on the edge and up front, good guys in the back end. It was a good test for us. I think we were right there a couple times in the game, crawling back. We really just offensively put the defense in a bad spot. I feel all right. You’re playing quarterback in the NFL, you’re gonna be sore the next day. It’s part of it. Probably need to do a better job of getting down or throwing it away. I think I took a couple of sacks today where I could have thrown it away or thrown a checkdown it instead of getting a sack in the statbook.”
You mentioned you were amped. What was it like on the sideline and how was Jacoby Brissett helping?
Maye: “He was saying, ‘We’re good. We’re good.’ They went down there, they scored on the first possession. I think it’s always a little pressure when they score first and make it 7-0. So just settle down and trust the guys around me and we gotta be able to run the football a little bit too. We preach that. Running the football in this league is how you help. Getting in 3rd-and-long, we were in 3rd-and-long too much today. That starts with me and making better throws on decisions on first and second down.”
You said it was a dream to get your first NFL start What was this like from that perspective? And also, how did you self-evaluate overall?
Maye: “Shout out the fans, they were great. Gave me goosebumps when I went out there the first time, and they stayed basically the whole way through, cheering, and it was pretty sweet to be out there in the reds. But like I said, did come out with the win, and that’s the goal. Especially in your first start, you want to come out with the win, that would be something pretty special. Gotta be able to watch the take and learn from it and bounce back. Gonna be a long flight, so get ready for playing overseas.”
There’s no denying that this is one of the biggest days in your life. It’s also a fact your team lost convincingly. How do you balance those emotions?
Maye: “First and foremost just blessed. I thank the good Lord. I’m in a great spot with the Patriots here and playing quarterback in the NFL. Most of my friends and family after a loss, they’re still more worried about the loss than encouraging plays. That’s the kind of people I’m around. We care about winning and just hate losing. That’s the big thing, I think there’s some good things to take away from it today. I think, like coach Mayo said, you’ve got to play complementary football, and we have done that.”
Can you describe your mindset during the two-minute drill before halftime?
Maye: “I think two minutes of time is a great time for a quarterback to kinda get some passes and some plays that we’re comfortable with under my belt. It’s a lot easier in two-minute than practice when the guys actually come back there to tackle me in the back. Able to make some plays, and Boutte made a great play. Those guys, I think Pop down the sidelines, that’s a great play on his part. Just get the guys the ball, that’s the biggest thing I’ve got to do. Just get them the ball and let them make plays. You saw Hunter on a flat route early on, we’re backed up, make a guy miss, get a first down. It’s little things like that, just get the ball out of my hands and into the hands of those guys who make a lot of money, getting paid to get first downs.”
Walk us through your 40-yard touchdown to Boutte – and how did that help your confidence?
Maye: “Pressed up, I think we’ve got to give him a chance. That was kind of my thought process, give him a chance. I thought the Texans were kind of squatting us a little bit. The came out and challenged us and played man. So tried to just let one ride and give Boutte a chance, made a nice play and it’s pretty cool, I think both of our first touchdowns. So, pretty cool moment. I feel like with this group we can push the ball down the field and make plays in the passing game. So just gotta keep repping it see what you like and I gotta make throws – make better throws. That’s the bottom line.”
