New England Patriots - NESN.com
The New England Patriots were defeated by the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, 20-13. Second-year quarterback Drake Maye completed 30 of 46 pass attempts for 287 yards, scoring one touchdown but also throwing an interception.
Maye now has a record of 3-10 as a starter. He’ll need to start finding wins soon, or there could be questions in New England about whether he truly is the franchise quarterback.
The Athletic’s Steve Buckley thinks Maye needs a “confident win” soon by putting the team on his back and getting a big victory.
“While Maye is the long-term solution at quarterback, the Patriots will need improved play on the offensive line and in the pass-catching department to regain their seat at the NFL’s grown-ups table,” Buckley wrote Monday. “That hasn’t changed, I guess. But at some point, Maye will need to scratch and claw and will the Patriots to victory.”
Maye’s three victories are not particularly impressive. Two of the wins he recorded last year were from games he didn’t finish.
In Week 8 against the New York Jets, Maye suffered a game-ending concussion in the first half. In Week 18, during the victory over the Buffalo Bills, Maye exited the game after the first drive, allowing the team to see backup quarterback Joe Milton.
Maye’s only victory while completing the contest came in Week 10 against a Chicago Bears team that struggled throughout the season, finishing with only five wins.
Maye might need to achieve an impressive win over the next few weeks to get the players, coaches and fans believing in him.
