Well, preseason game No. 2 has come and gone for the good ol’ Patriots, who lost by one point on home turf.
Good to be back, right?
Entering the game, fans wanted to know if their franchise quarterback, Drake Maye, was going to land a bigger opportunity than his one-series showing against Carolina.
Well, seemingly all of New England got what it wanted. Maye entered in the second quarter and played two drives in the third.
The righty’s strengths were shown immediately. First, he got to showcase his strong arm by making a couple of completions toward the middle of the field.
We don’t have to talk about the beautiful dime he threw to Javon Baker, who ended up dropping what would’ve been the play of the game.
Then, there was his mobility, which is something I’m excited to see more of.
Listen, I’ll take Tom Brady over any quarterback who has ever played, but having a mobile quarterback is pretty fun, no?
Maye showed he could escape a collapsing pocket and still make a throw on the run – something Mac Jones couldn’t do.
What also impressed me was Maye’s ability to escape the pocket, but have the self-awareness to not take a hit. There were times when a linebacker was closing in on him and Maye just threw the ball away, living to see another down.
That was unlike Joe Milton, who was a wrecking ball, barreling against the Eagles’ defense with his 6-foot-4, 245-pound frame.
On the 4-yard touchdown run that bombarded Patriots fans’ social media timelines, Maye did a good job reading that the defense collapsed inside, allowing him to keep the ball and walk into the endzone unscathed.
Also, quick kudos to offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who apparently asked Maye what he was comfortable with from his North Carolina days. That TD play was something Maye excelled at during college.
Despite the positives, there are some things I want to see Maye improve upon by the next time the Patriots play their third and final preseason game against Washington.
One glaring issue that’s been reported during training camp is how the centers (except David Andrews) exchange with quarterbacks.
Thursday, Maye took a snap from backup Nick Leverett and ended up fumbling. Luckily, New England recovered the ball, but it’s been a problem throughout camp – whether it’s Leverett or backup Antonio Mafi.
I could write all day about how bad the backup linemen are, or how I’m not convinced that the tackles are the right guys. But hey, there’s not much you can do now. Regular season game No. 1 is Sunday, Sept. 8 against Cincinnati.
It still seems that Jacoby Brissett will be the Week 1 starter. However, if Maye plays well during his final preseason game, maybe he gets inserted sooner than originally planned.
Also, our general manager was brought up through the Green Bay Packer way, so, maybe, we’ll have to wait a little longer to see more of our franchise quarterback.
To sum up, Maye is 21 years old, but plays more like a 24-year-old in his third season.
I don’t know. I’ve got a good feeling about him.
