Pats Pulpit
Following a pair of home games, the 7-2 New England Patriots are heading south for a showdown with the 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the Bucs find themselves down several starters despite coming off a bye, the matchup will remain a strong test for the Patriots, who are also down a pair of offensive starters, to keep their six game winning streak alive.
Here on Pats Pulpit, our focus this week both wrapped up the win over the Falcons and prep for the Buccaneers. For anything else not covered previously, let’s clean out the notebook. Welcome to this week’s edition of our Sunday Patriots Notes.
Athletes in New England know things are different here than most other sports cities. A city rich in sports history that has featured dozens of championships and some of the greatest athletes to ever play their respective games. It brings a pressure, and almost an expectation, to win.
That pressure is not for everyone. But those who find success are treated like royalty. And nobody is finding that out more than Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
Through the first nine games of his sophomore season, Maye has led the Patriots to a 7-2 record as he has catapulted into the MVP discussion. As Maye has elevated his game to new heights, the fan support has elevated as well.
This past week, the quarterback attended the Boston Celtics game on Monday with his wife, Ann Michael, and teammate Will Campbell. After getting mobbed by young fans before the game, Maye and Campbell were shown on the Jumbotron to a loud applause. The cameras then cut to a young fan in the crowd wearing a shirt that said, “I love Drake Maye.”
The next day, Maye made his way down to Smithfield, RI. where he served as the Fall Speaker at Bryant University. When he was introduced, he received a loud ovation and students in attendance quickly began chants of “MVP!” At the start of the panel, Maye could barely begin a sentence before another round of applause would begin.
“I didn’t expect this tonight,” he told the crowd. “It’s pretty sick.”
While Maye is not usually one to soak in the praise, he has appreciated the support for the fans early in his career.
“I think they’re excited about what we’re doing. We’re trying to give them something to cheer for, and we got to bring it every week, but it’s pretty cool,” Maye said Wednesday. “Pretty cool to see some of the reactions you get, and it’s a reminder of the platform that I’m given and what you can do with it – spread love and spread messages. It’s really cool, and I appreciate the way this city has embraced me. We’ve got to keep going.”
With the Patriots traveling down to Tampa Bay this week, it serves as a timely reminder to revisit one of the defining moments from the past offseason.
Back in March as NFL Free...
