The New England Patriots have certainly had their fair share of struggles in 2024, staring the season off with a miserable 1-6 record, losing 6 straight games for the first time since 1993 and a current 3-7 record tying them for last place in the AFC East with the NY Jets. However, there have been signs of turning the sinking ship around lately, with one bright spot in particular being instituting Drake Maye as the Patriots starting quarterback.
Patriots QB Drake Maye, who is only 22-years-old and was drafted with the #3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft began starting for the Pats in Week 6 against the Houston Texans, and has exhibited some early-on struggles, but his performance last week against the Chicago Bears and perhaps more notably, outshining his opposition — the #1 overall pick in the NFL draft, Bears QB Caleb Williams — showed that the young Maye is starting to find his footing.
“Drake has addressed the offense numerous times,” Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo said in a transcript from the team following the Patriots 19-3 win over the Bears. “I think it goes back to now he’s starting to really take control of the offense and the team. When you go out there and you perform at a high level, that’s the first step. The next step is to bring others with you, and I think he’s on his way to doing that.”
Mayo added in a transcript from the team on Monday following a team practice that Maye not only bolstering his rapport with his teammates, but also exhibiting leadership qualities are very promising developments from the young quarterback.
“I think this is part of the evolution of Drake, and this is something that we’ve discussed behind closed doors,” Mayo said. “I thought he did a good job, not only going out there and executing in practice, but also having those player-only meetings, and that’s what we need from him. We need that.”
So far this season, Maye has thrown for 954 yards with 7 TDs and 5 INTs. He’s completed 64.7% of his passes and also averages 9.3 yards per carry with a rushing TD to his name.
Although the Patriots’ playoff chances with a 3-7 record at this point in the season aren’t likely, a glimmer of hope in the post-Brady and Belichick era, particularly after the disappoint of last season’s Mac Jones in the form of Drake Maye is the start of turning the corner for the struggling team.
What did you think of Patriots QB Drake Maye’s performance against the Bears? Do you think the Patriots have a new star in the making at the quarterback position or is it still too early to make any judgements? Let us know in the comments.
