New England Patriots - NESN.com
Drake Maye didn’t begin his 2025 season as hoped, as the New England Patriots suffered a 20-13 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Maye had some good moments in New England’s Week 1 contest, completing 30 of 46 passes for 287 yards and a touchdown. The second-year quarterback also took four sacks and began the second half with a key interception that preceded a go-ahead Raiders touchdown.
The 23-year-old pointed to that costly turnover when reflecting on the loss in his post-game press conference, per WEEI’s Tom Carroll.
“We got to be better,” Maye told reporters. “I think my decision on the first drive coming out was the one that killed the drive.”
Las Vegas held New England scoreless in the second half until the Patriots, down 10, kicked a field goal with 19 seconds remaining. The Patriots had previously punted on four straight possessions, mustering 37 total yards on 17 plays.
Maye felt the final quarters could have unfolded differently if the offense built momentum out of halftime with a productive series.
“I think I can do a better job of getting it to guys and making throws,” Maye said. “… I think just make some better throws, be more accurate and I think getting points out of that first drive would have been huge.”
Mike Vrabel wouldn’t pin the blame on Maye. The head coach noted, courtesy of MassLive’s Mark Daniels, that the offense needs better balance after registering just 60 rushing yards on 18 attempts.
“I thought there was some good, positive plays and really good command of what we were doing,” Vrabel said of Maye. “And then there were times where maybe he missed somebody … It’s a challenge playing quarterback in this league. We got to help him out.”
Maye and the Patriots offense will try to bounce back during a Week 2 division showdown against the Miami Dolphins.
