The New England Patriots struggled in yesterday’s 41-21 loss against the Houston Texans. This was an important game for the Pats as it was rookie Drake Maye’s first start. But he was the only bright spot and Head Coach Jerod Mayo had some strong words for his teams saying “I feel like as a team, we let him down.”
Many fans of the Patriots agree with this sentiment, and what was supposed to be a day full of promise and hope for fans quickly fell apart by poor play from the start.
Big Time Let Down
The Patriots have been one of the worst teams in the league early on this season, but swapping out Jacoby Brissett for Drake Maye was supposed ignite the team and get them to rally around their rookie QB. Instead of igniting the team, the Patriots seemed to be in neutral for most of the game and made far too many mistakes.
Even though he looked impressive in his debut with 243 yards and three touchdowns, the rest of the team struggled around him. Dropped passes, turnovers, penalties, and missed tackles plagued the Patriots and they looked like a team that was poorly coached under their first year head coach Jerod Mayo.
Mayo owned up to the media saying the team let him down, which is clear when looking at the box score. The Pats turned the ball over four times, including two fumbles and two interceptions. Three of the turnovers were by Maye, one fumble and two interceptions, but they weren’t all on him. A strip sack, tipped pass, and overthrow caused the turnovers for Maye. Every time there seemed to be momentum, a turnover or poorly executed play dashed hopes quickly.
What’s Next For Maye and the Patriots?
Moving forward, the Patriots need to do everything they can do support and develop Drake Maye. The roster is one of the worst in the league and Jerod Mayo has a lot to fix in his first season as a head coach. This is always going to be a long term rebuild, but Maye’s ability can accelerate that, and that was shown on Sunday.
The next few games for the Patriots are favorable matchups, starting with the Jacksonville Jaguars in London next Sunday. After that, they play the Jets, Titans, and Bears. There really isn’t an elite team until the Bills in week 16, so this stretch is crucial for Maye’s development. Not saying they will run the table and make the playoffs or anything crazy, but they could go on a small run that can help restore confidence in Mayo, something that has been non-existent since the week one win over the Bengals.
There is never really a correct and proven formula for developing quarterbacks. Players like Patrick Mahomes and Aaron Rodgers sat behind QBs to start their career, only to come in and light it up immediately. Other QBs like CJ Stroud, Cam Newton, and Matt Ryan were able to start right away and make an impact. It’s an imperfect science, but Drake Maye is in an odd spot. The Patriots need to make a habit of not making mistakes and letting down their QB.
All in all, it takes a lot for a coach to admit to his mistakes, and Mayo has been good at being open and honest with the media, which has benefits at times. Hopefully the team heard those words and rise to the occasion next week across the pond against Jacksonville.
A successful season will now be all about how much they can develop Drake Maye and go into 2025 with a positive outlook. Although with the current roster, the future is bleak for New England, and the memories of Tom Brady slinging it around Gillette and winning Super Bowls are quickly fading away.
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