Drake Maye received encouragement from another top draft pick on Sunday after the New England Patriots lost to the Texans in his first career start.
Last year, Houston’s C.J. Stroud faced a similar situation as a rookie quarterback expected to lead his team after being picked early in the draft. Stroud was selected second overall, while Maye was the third pick.
Stroud lost his first two games before guiding the Texans to the playoffs. Given the struggles of Maye’s team, the Patriots (1-5) are unlikely to have a similar outcome.
Despite the loss, Maye’s performance in the Patriots’ 41-21 defeat to the Texans brought some energy. He completed 22 of 30 passes for 243 yards and had an 88.3 passer rating. With three touchdown passes, Maye outperformed Jacoby Brissett, who had been ineffective and led Coach Jerod Mayo to make the switch to the rookie.
“I was a little amped at the start for sure. The guys around me were great trying to settle me down, and Jacoby was a big part of that,” Maye said.
Maye took his first snap as an NFL starter at 9:08 in the first quarter. When his image appeared on the video board at Gillette Stadium, the crowd gave him a big cheer.
“It gave me goosebumps going out there for the first time,” Maye said. “I’m in a great spot with the Patriots here and playing quarterback in the NFL.”
His debut had both positive moments and things to learn from. He threw an interception early in the game when he overthrew DeMario Douglas, but later connected with Douglas for a 35-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.
“I love how he gained confidence throughout the game, and I thought it was a good first game for him,” Douglas said.
Fans of the Patriots hope Maye can become the answer they’ve been looking for since the Tom Brady era. They found some hope late in the first half when Maye made a perfect throw downfield to Kayshon Boutte for a 40-yard touchdown, narrowing the score to 14-7.
“His competitiveness was great,” said tight end Hunter Henry, who caught a touchdown pass from Maye in the third quarter.
Maye also rushed for a team-high 38 yards, adding an extra element to a New England offense that struggled after winning its first game and taking Seattle to overtime in Week 2.
He learned the importance of protecting the ball—one of Houston’s four sacks led to a fumble, giving the Texans possession at the Patriots’ 10-yard line.
“I think I took a couple sacks where I could have thrown it away or thrown check-downs instead of getting a sack,” Maye said. “Just kept hurting ourselves, and in this league, these teams are too good to do that. But some great stuff to watch on film.”
