Pats Pulpit
Five days before Drake Maye took the field Thursday night, Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles dialed up something new to try and slow down the young gunslinger.
Throughout the Week 10 matchup, Bowles’ usual aggressive defense instead dropped eight players into coverage on seven dropbacks — the most by a Tampa Bay defense since Week 4 of 2022. On those drop backs, Maye went just 3-of-7 for 26 yards.
Aaron Glenn and the New York Jets took night.
In a Thursday night battle in Foxboro, the Jets forced Maye to work underneath playing man coverage a season-low 21.6 percent of the time while blitzing Maye on just 29.7 percent of his drop-backs (below their 34.2 percent season average). This time, however, the quarterback responded with his work moving inside the pocket and then making plays on the run standing out in a 27-14 win.
It was another performance that led to more “MVP!” Chants echoing throughout Gillette Stadium as Maye’s +0.30 expected points added per drop-back was his fifth-highest mark of the season. Here’s how he got there.
1-10-NE 17 (12:43) D. Maye pass deep left to H. Henry to NE 40 for 23 yards. After leading a 13-play touchdown drive to start the game, Maye’s second drive started with a staple from Josh McDaniels. A play-action fakes pull up three second-level Jet defenders while tight end Hunter Henry releases on a crosser behind them. Maye lofts one right over linebacker Quincy Williams, who is recovering in a “robot” technique with his back to the quarterback, which Henry hauls in for a 23-yard drive starter.
2-11-NYJ 46 (9:14) D. Maye pass short middle to M. Hollins to NYJ 27 for 19 yards. Over midfield, Maye’s work in the pocket starts to show. Coming off a covered Pop Douglas to his left, Maye works to a dagger concept (dig plus vertical) and check down option to his right. With pressure coming down on him, Maye strongly keeps two hands on the football and rips through the pocket before escaping to his right where he then remains a passer to find a wide open Mack Hollins for 19 yards. Two plays later, TreVeyon Henderson found the end zone again to take a 14-7 lead.
Behind penalties and a missed field goal to end the half, New England’s offense was relatively quiet over their next few possessions. That was until Drake Maye put together an MVP-level drive to extend the Patriots lead to two possessions in the third quarter.
1-10-NE 31 (11:16) D. Maye pass deep middle to M. Hollins to NE 48 for 17 yards. The drive starts with another chunk gain to Hollins on another dagger concept. With Diggs’ vertical clearing out the Jets linebacker over the middle of the field, the passing lane is open to Hollins filling in from left-to-right. Maye’s pass is slightly high as it must be out of the reach of cornerback Jarvis Brownlee Jr. in a short zone,...
