CHICAGO — The New England Patriots’ first follow of the week, the one the place they set up the sport plan for the approaching opponent, went terribly. It was Wednesday, 4 days earlier than a matchup right here towards the Bears, and the Patriots couldn’t do something proper offensively.
Quarterback Drake Maye fumbled a snap. The offensive line bungled a safety it had been discussing. Penalties slowed issues down.
“We had some psychological errors,” Maye stated.
Afterward, Maye fumed. He weighed what to do. He has solely been the staff’s beginning quarterback for a month and is simply 22 years outdated. However on the similar time, he’s the quarterback, and there’s a gravitas that comes with that place on this sport.
Since taking up because the beginning quarterback of this franchise, Maye has reached out to extra teammates individually. He’s taken to texting them numerous cut-ups from follow at night time, both performs the place he’s on the lookout for them to do one thing in another way or to applaud one thing they’d achieved.
“You then really feel like, ‘I do know Drake, and he cares about me.’ That’s how I’m approaching it,” Maye stated Sunday.
However then Wednesday’s awful follow occurred, and he felt one thing larger was wanted. So Maye requested offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt if he may converse to the entire unit, and Van Pelt greenlit the thought.
The speech that adopted and Maye’s play in a 19-3 highway win over the Bears, one which was simply the staff’s greatest all-around efficiency of the season, helped solidify one thing that’s turning into apparent: The Patriots, now 3-7, have gotten Maye’s staff.
GO DEEPER
Patriots, Drake Maye knock off Bears, Caleb Williams 19-3: Takeaways
That may sound like — and even is likely to be — a small factor. However it’s an essential one for a franchise needing an id post-Invoice Belichick and for a fan base and staff needing optimism after coming into this sport with solely six wins in its final 27 video games.
Maye’s numbers Sunday had been pedestrian (15-of-25 passing for 185 yards, one landing and one interception), however the rookie quarterback has introduced pleasure and given followers a motive to observe this staff within the early days of its rebuild.
Moreover, Maye appears to have earned this management position, which is very noteworthy in distinction to Caleb Williams and the Bears offense, which has struggled mightily in current weeks after handing the No. 1 choose the reins this offseason. Whereas the Bears now appear destined for extra change and questions on whether or not they’ll squander one other extremely drafted quarterback, Maye got here right into a far much less enviable state of affairs roster-wise and has displayed development and enchancment whereas acknowledging issues are removed from excellent.
The 1️⃣ & the three️⃣#NEvsCHI | #NEPats pic.twitter.com/kkXDDlkCV2
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) November 10, 2024
Maye’s setup was vastly totally different from that of Williams or No. 2 choose Jayden Daniels. The Patriots didn’t need him to begin early on, and though Maye outplayed Jacoby Brissett within the preseason and coaching camp, they left Maye on the bench to begin the season.
It put the rookie in a little bit of a bizarre spot. Everybody knew he was the quarterback of the long run, drafted with the third choose. However he was a backup and needed to attempt to toe that line of enjoying a secondary position whereas understanding the burden of a rebuild would ultimately sit on his shoulders.
It was an identical tightrope stroll when he grew to become the starter. How do you say your management type and go in a special path with out coming off such as you’re discounting what Brissett did? How can a 22-year-old recent out of school command the respect of 30-year-olds with households at dwelling?
There was a pure feeling-out course of. Maye began with these texts to teammates whereas he watched video of practices in his residence close to Gillette Stadium.
Then Wednesday occurred. A nasty follow in an extended, irritating season.
So Maye needed to say one thing. He stood in entrance of the staff in one in all its auditorium assembly rooms. He instructed his teammates what they’d achieved wasn’t adequate. Their normal was larger, their targets loftier.
“All people cherished it, man,” stated rookie receiver Ja’Lynn Polk, who took a step in the correct path Sunday with a 2-yard landing reception. “We’d like that from our beginning quarterback.”
Drake Maye to Ja’Lynn Polk for the rookie to rookie TD connection #NEPats
📺: #NEvsCHI on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/rallRsqNss— NFL (@NFL) November 10, 2024
To be clear, nobody painted this as some Herb Brooks-style “Miracle on Ice” speech. Maye is the youngest man on the staff. It’s nerve-wracking to speak in entrance of your friends. There have been certainly some pauses and mumbles. His coronary heart was possible pounding. However what was extra essential than the precise message was what that message meant, the younger quarterback taking cost of the franchise.
“I don’t know the way he did it. I couldn’t try this,” receiver Demario Douglas stated with amusing. “As a quarterback, I suppose he ought to have the ability to. But when it had been me, I’d get nervous and begin sweating.”
Possibly much more essential than the message or what it meant was that the staff responded. Douglas stated the following practices had been a few of their better of the season. Then the sport arrived, and the Patriots put collectively their greatest efficiency of the 12 months, even when it got here towards a Bears staff that’s clearly reeling.
No, Maye wasn’t excellent on today. There’ll nonetheless be studying moments and rookie errors, like his first-quarter interception. However there may also be spectacular moments to construct on, like his 24-yard strike to Austin Hooper, the best way he orchestrated the Patriots’ end-of-half scoring drive and the best way he moved by means of the pocket, a stark distinction to Williams, who was sacked 9 instances by a resurgent New England protection. There have been constructive moments, even when his stat line isn’t going to wow most observers.
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The Patriots are nonetheless very early on this rebuild. In some ways, they’re nonetheless attending to know Maye and are keen to offer him a light-hearted exhausting time.
“His accent is a bit sturdy and I can’t perceive some phrases, however he’s a very good speaker,” Michigan native Mike Onwenu joked about Maye’s North Carolina drawl.
This Patriots season has felt at instances like a misplaced one, a mandatory grind earlier than the promise of higher days when free company and draft picks add expertise to a roster in want of it.
However there are little moments alongside the best way that plant the seeds of the longer-term success the Patriots are hoping for. This week yielded one other when their quarterback stood earlier than them and referred to as out the group, and so they all backed it up with their greatest sport but, providing a easy reality about the place they’re headed.
The Patriots have gotten Maye’s staff.
(Picture: Michael Reaves / Getty Pictures)