The New England Patriots improved to 1-1 with Sunday’s 20-3 rout of the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Pats quarterback Drake Maye, last season’s MVP runner-up, hasn’t been the same caliber of player this season. In two games, Maye has thrown four interceptions for just one touchdown and is averaging only 193 passing yards per game.
After Sunday’s win, The Boston Globe’s Ben Volin asked Patriots coach Mike Vrabel whether there was concern about Maye’s play to open the season or if he thought his young quarterback was “pressing.”
“Nope, just trying to win the game, Ben,” Vrabel answered. “You’re not gonna ruin my Sunday, but I’ll come back to you tomorrow. Thanks, bud.”
However, The Ringer founder Bill Simmons, a diehard Patriots fan, is plenty concerned about how Maye has looked to open the campaign.
“Drake Maye has been a mess. He just has,” The Sports Guy said on Monday’s episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
Simmons was just as critical of Maye after the quarterback’s three-interception performance in Week 1, saying that there were “no excuses this time.” The “excuses” Simmons is referencing are most likely shaky offensive line play and an injury to his throwing shoulder suffered in the AFC Championship, both of which contributed to a 29-13 loss to the Seahawks in Super Bowl LX last season.
Although he’s healthy again, Maye’s slow start this year can be at least partially ascribed to the absence of wide receiver A.J. Brown, who was placed on the injured reserve list after suffering an ankle injury in the third quarter against Seattle, and New England’s offensive line allowed seven quarterback hits and three sacks on Sunday.
The Podfather, however, wonders whether New England’s woes aren’t, in part, due to a less obvious reason.
“Post-Sedona Mike Vrabel?” Simmons added, referencing the Dianna Russini scandal that dominated the NFL offseason. “I wouldn’t say he’s as crisp. There’s some clock management stuff that I’m like, ‘Oh, Vrabel doesn’t usually miss that stuff’.”
Whether it’s on Vrabel or Maye (it’s both), New England needs its leaders to recalibrate quickly. After winning the AFC East last year, the Patriots will have to march through a much tougher first-place schedule this season, and won’t be able to count on facing an offensive performance as abysmal as the Steelers’ every week. The Pats entered the season with massive expectations, and if things don’t turn around, the questions and criticisms will only get louder.
About Qwame Skinner
Qwame Skinner has loved both writing and sports his entire life. In addition to his sports coverage at Comeback Media, Qwame writes novels, and his debut; The First Casualty, an adult fantasy, is out now.