Rookie QB Drake Maye is proving to be exactly the leader the Patriots need this season
The New England Patriots' season is not going the way anyone wanted. And while they have designated captains on the team, they look towards anyone during these moments to step up. Drake Maye has truly taken that to heart. And it was on full display after Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears. The rookie quarterback […]
The New England Patriots' season is not going the way anyone wanted. And while they have designated captains on the team, they look towards anyone during these moments to step up.
Drake Maye has truly taken that to heart.
And it was on full display after Sunday's win over the Chicago Bears.
The rookie quarterback had plenty to celebrate, earning his first official NFL win as a starter. But instead, he made sure to give a huge shoutout to one group prior to the start of his press conference.
He stepped up the podium and immediately began clapping his hands.
“Phones down. Notepads down. Let’s clap it up for the defense,” Maye said to reporters. “Clap it up. There you go. Appreciate you.”
The defense held the Bears to less than 100 rushing yards. And star quarterback Caleb Williams was sacked nine times.
“It was a good feeling sitting over there as the offense, as the quarterback, that type of defensive performance … it’s a credit to them," he said. "It’s a credit to practice this week."
“Man, it’s a good taste of what it looked like for me in training camp. They get after it, they after you, mixed up coverage, mixed up blitz packages. It was pretty cool to watch. It was good to be on the other side of the ball.”
Even in big moments, Maye doesn't take any individual credit at any moment. It's always all about the team. And that's exactly what the Patriots need right now.
But that's not all he did.
Earlier this week, Maye asked offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt if he could address the team after practice. He was reportedly frustrated with how things had went, and wanted to send a message.
“I think just little things. I think just taking that next step is me being the quarterback in the offensive meeting room,” Maye explained. “These little things that are adding up and hurting us in practice that are leading to game day.
“Last week, I mentioned we had second and third down in the two-minute drill we ran; we couldn’t pick up one yard. Little things like that, just little details and focus. I think sometimes in the practice mode, where you’re just running plays, I really tuned in and tried to execute specific plays and trying to get in a groove of, ‘Hey, we’re just running plays out here for nothing.’ Really try to challenge those guys and challenge myself to take each play and know when a game comes, and this play is called … it matters.”
While he said he might have stumbled over some of his words, he thinks "those guys respected it."
And according to Ja'Lynn Polk, they really did.
The Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan spoke with the rookie receiver who said that he gives Maye a "10/10 as a public speaker, and said his mid-week speech was needed."
All of this proves one very important thing: the Patriots have not only found their quarterback of the future, but also the leader they need.
