“We’ve got to play complementary football, and we haven’t done that.”
As solemn as Gillette Stadium has been so far this fall, Drake Maye gave Patriots fans the jolt they’ve needed.
Amid the cheers bellowing down from the nosebleeds and the three musket volleys fired off following his three touchdowns, the 22-year-old QB offered up hope that New England might have something to look forward to on the gridiron.
But Maye wasn’t focused on any silver linings Sunday evening — even as dozens of friends and family were on site to greet him after his first career NFL start.
Because in the hyper-competitive Maye family, any positives drawn from a game pale in comparison to whatever lopsided result is etched on the scoreboard.
“Most of my friends and family after a loss, they’ll still worry more about the loss than kind of encouraging plays. That’s kind of the people I’m around,” Maye said after New England’s 41-21 loss to Houston. “We care about winning. Just hate losing.
“That’s the big thing. I think there’s some good things to take away from it today, and I think back with Coach [Jerod] Mayo, we’ve got to play complementary football, and we haven’t done that.”
In a 2024 campaign where positives might be few and far between for a rebuilding Patriots roster, Sunday’s loss can easily be spun into a step forward — especially with Maye now given the keys to the team’s sputtering offense.
New England could seemingly only go up on offense after Jacoby Brissett’s five-game run as the team’s starting QB. Even though the veteran largely did his job in terms of limiting mistakes and absorbing plenty of punishment, the results on the field were discouraging.
Entering Week 6, New England ranked last in the league in passing yards per game (119.4), along with 31st overall in both total offense (250.8) and points per game (12.4).
With Maye leapfrogging Brissett on the depth chart, New England felt as though its rookie’s howitzer of an arm and athleticism would create more explosive plays — as well as alleviate some O-line woes thanks to Maye’s scrambling ability.
The results spoke for themselves on Sunday against Houston.
Maye completed 20 of 33 passes for 243 passing yards and three touchdowns in his first start — adding an additional 38 yards on the ground.
Maye easily eclipsed Brissett’s most potent passing performance of the season (168 yards vs.
