Patriots
“I think he can take it. I feel like he’s a tough guy, too, as well.”
Drake Maye closed out Sunday’s season-opening loss to the Raiders completing 30-of-46 passes for 287 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.
It was a a solid, albeit unspectacular, stat line for the second-year QB, who came up short against Geno Smith and Las Vegas, 20-13, at Gillette Stadium.
But Maye has received plenty of flak over the last few days due to his second-half struggles — with New England’s offensive futility down the stretch opening the door for Las Vegas to come away with the victory.
Entering halftime, Maye was seemingly in control of the game — completing 14-of-20 throws for 150 yards and a touchdown.
The second half was a different story. After throwing an interception on New England’s first drive of the third quarter (which ultimately resulted in a Raiders touchdown), Maye and the offense flatlined.
The No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft completed just 7-of-12 passes for 51 yards over the Patriots’ next four drives — all of which ended in punts.
After serving as one of the few bright spots amid an otherwise miserable 2024 season in Foxborough, Maye has found himself receiving a fair share of criticism — with Mike Vrabel acknowledging on Monday that the team might have to make some adjustments in order to take some responsibilities off the second-year pro’s plate.
Count veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs among those who believes that Maye can be receptive to some hard coaching as he looks to get his game (and New England’s offense) back on track in Week 2 against the Dolphins.
“I think he can take it. I feel like he’s a tough guy, too, as well,” Diggs said of Maye on Wednesday at Gillette Stadium. “He’s not a softie or nothing. I would never say that. As far as just being there for him, and having an open dialogue, if you see something, let me know, just that open line of communication and being a receiver with the quarterback.”
One of the best ways for Maye to settle into a groove moving forward is building a rapport with a proven pass-catcher like Diggs.
“As a receiver, you just want to have an open dialogue, especially with a young guy,” Diggs said of Maye. “He can play at a high level, so just being there for him consistently, I think a lot of positive reinforcement rather than ripping a guy would obviously be helpful.”
The 31-year-old Diggs made his debut with the Patriots during Sunday’s loss to the Raiders, reeling in six catches for 57 receiving yards.
It wasn’t the explosive production that Patriots fans were used to seeing from Diggs during his time with the Bills and Vikings. But Diggs was grateful to be back out on the gridiron and building his game back up, especially after tearing his ACL last October.
“We weren’t winning, so I couldn’t be too happy. But as far as like, this isn’t a selfish sport, to me, I took a moment to be grateful and kind of bask in the ambiance of where I was,” Diggs said. “I love doing what I love.
“Try to play at a high level, getting open, catching the ball. I had my moments of, ‘Damn, I missed it so much.’ I’m just so thankful to be back where I love to be. I had that moment, but at the same time, we were losing, so it was bittersweet.”
Sign up for Patriots updates🏈
Get breaking news and analysis delivered to your inbox during football season.