This past off-season the New England Patriots turned the page on a dynasty that spanned two decades. Ownership and Coach Bill Belichick mutually decided to split ways after 24 years. Even though Belichick is one of the greatest coaches of all time and a future hall-of-famer, it was time to move on.
The Patriots went in a new direction hiring Jerod Mayo as head coach. He was drafted by the Patriots in 2008 in the first round. In his playing career, he was a Super Bowl champion, a two-time pro bowler and made first-team all-pro in 2010. After retiring in 2016, the Patriots hired him to be the linebackers’ coach in 2019.
In tandem with a new head coach, the Patriots selected Drake Maye third overall in the 2024 draft to replace Mac Jones. After a solid rookie campaign in the 2020/2021 season, Jones’ tenure as a Patriot had been spiraling downhill. This culminated in the Patriots finishing last year with a 4-13 record. This led to Jones being traded to Jacksonville for a sixth-round pick.
This record landed them in a position to draft Maye. Coming out of The University of North Carolina, the highly touted prospect has all the physical tools needed to be a star in the NFL.
In his final year of college, he threw 35 passes over 20 yards in the air, considered an explosive play, good for third-most in the country. The Patriots, or specifically Jones, only had 34 explosive plays last season in five more games
Maye’s arm talent is something that the Patriots sorely missed during the past few seasons. Along with his arm, he is an underrated rusher, using his legs he ran for 449 yards and nine touchdowns as a Tarheel in 2023.
This new duo of Maye and Mayo is exactly what the Patriots need going forward. They doubled down on their strength by getting a defensive-minded coach and massively upgraded their weakest offensive position.
This showed in the first game of the season when they were able to beat the Bengals to get out to a 1-0 start. Maye sat behind Jacoby Brisset as the coaching staff decided he needed more time before he was ready to start.
After four straight losses, Maye would get his chance. He got his first career start against the Houston Texans Oct. 13. Squaring off against last season’s rookie of the year C.J. Stroud, Maye showed flashes of the talent that got him drafted so high.
After throwing a bad interception late in the first quarter, Maye came back and launched a 40-yard touchdown pass to Keyshawn Boutteto to end the first half.
Maye was able to add two more passing touchdowns in the second half to finish with a stat line of three touchdowns, 243 passing yards and 38 rushing yards. Despite the two interceptions and a loss to Houston, Maye had a solid game.
While it took a little time to settle in and the offensive line did him no favors facing one of the best pass rushes in the league. Maye showed his ability to navigate a pocket, hit big plays and even picked up some crucial first downs with his legs.
After some abysmal years post-Tom Brady there seems to be a light at the end of the tunnel in Drake Maye.
