FOXBOROUGH, MA. — Since being selected third overall by the New England Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback Drake Maye has been all but officially anointed as the “face” of the franchise.
The former North Carolina Tar Heel has not only been touted for his exceptional athleticism and mental resilience, he is also being recognized for his natural leadership ability. Accordingly, Maye’s skills while providing direction to his teammates will be put to perhaps his greatest test to date in their Week 1 matchup against the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday.
Having recently been elected as one of New England’s six team captains, Maye is acutely cognizant of the expectations placed on his shoulders — as well as his need to either meet, or exceed them.
“No doubt, I think it starts with me getting the ball out on time,” Maye told reporters after Wednesday’s practice. “Not holding it … Not bypassing the first guy I see open and then trying to hunt a deeper one … The running backs can help in the protection. I think little things like that, and [of course] scheme. I think me just getting us in the right plays and knowing when he’s 1-on-1 and knowing when we have help to him. And from there, just follow our keys.”
Maye, in his rookie campaign, played in 13 games, starting 12 after taking over for veteran incumbent Jacoby Brissett in Week 6. The 6’4” 225-pound quarterback completed 67 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards and 15 touchdowns. Despite showcasing impressive poise and resilience at times, Maye was seemingly unable to reach his maximum potential — due largely in part to his being surrounded by a subpar supporting cast and incomplete coaching.
The Patriots attempted to bolster Maye’s on-field stable of weapons this offseason by adding receivers Stefon Diggs and Mack Hollins — along with potential rookie playmakers TreVeyon Henderson, Elton Chism III and Kyle Williams — to favorite targets Hunter Henry and DeMario Douglas. As for the coaching void, New England hired arguably the top offensive coordinator available in Josh McDaniels.
As not only a former Patriots OC, but also a former Raiders head coach, McDaniels’ wisdom and counsel should prove to be helpful for Maye in his preparations to evade Las Vegas’ All-Pro pass rusher Maxx Crosby. Known for his ability to devise complex offenisve schemes, McDaniels is quite familiar with Crosby, having coached him with the Raiders in 2022 and 2023. As such, McDaniels may find that the best way to keep Crosby from wreaking havoc on Maye is to plan on containing the four-time Pro Bowler, instead of stopping him.
In addition to his attempts to marginally-disrupt Crosby, McDaniels is likley to revisit his pass success against new Raiders head coach Pete Carroll — against whom the Pats’ OC has enjoyed a degree of success. In preparation for Sunday’s matchup, McDaniels has been showing Maye and his offense film from the Patriots’ win over Carroll’s Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl XLIX, as well as their regular-season matchup in 2020 in which Cam Newton was the Pats’ quarterback. McDaniels, per The Boston Herald’s Zack Cox, is expected to reimplement for Maye some of the QB run concepts he used with the rushing-focused Newton.
While McDaniels’ has understandably been impressed by Maye’s skill set — particularly his “cannon-like” arm — he has found his starting quarterback’s work ethic and natural leadership particularly rewarding to watch. Though the UNC product hopes to take New England’s offense to new heights sooner rather than later, he will maintain his composure by keeping his focus squarely on the Raiders heading into Sunday’s season-opener.
“You know that they [Raiders] are going to bring it every play. For us, we’ve just got to stay ahead of the chains and try to do our best to get off to a good start. We’ve got to be on our game. It’s good to be out there in Week 1, starting at home. So, I’m excited and looking forward to it.”
