Drake Maye had a good chance of winning the title in the battle for the New England Patriots’ quarterback spot in the preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, but the rookie breathed a sigh of relief after his first extended appearance in the NFL.
The Patriots quarterback admitted that taking the field on Thursday and playing more than a quarter gave him confidence after completing just one drive last week.
“I think every time you go out there you get more confident,” Maye told reporters. “First of all, it’s always the nerves the first time you go out there and start running. But other than that, more reps just help me. At the end of the day, I’m just happy that I can go out there and get some reps and make the most of my opportunities.”
Although Maye played a lot on Thursday, he has other reasons to be confident about his game. Despite completing 6 of 11 passes for just 47 yards, Maye led the Patriots to a touchdown in his first two drives. He accounted for the second touchdown, running for a 4-yard touchdown just before halftime.
Maye’s last two drives ended in punts, but his best throw of the night came on one of those drives. The rookie threw a deep ball on third-and-long in the third quarter that would have put the Patriots in the red zone. The ball hit Javon Baker’s hands, but the fellow rookie couldn’t complete the catch.
When Baker Mayes botched his best pass of the night, the quarterback showed the composure of a veteran player in his response to the play. He didn’t seem upset by Baker’s drop, but showed the attitude that he was ready for the next play.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo praised Maye’s demeanor after the game as the rookie explained why he remains so balanced.
“My job as a quarterback is to keep my cool: stay cool, calm and collected, especially on the sideline. I have a tendency to throw my helmet or something,” Maye said. “Moping like that can have a big impact on the mood of the guys and set the tone. I try to stay cool and calm, but I probably need to be more happy when good things happen. My parents always tell me that I need to be happy when good things happen. At the same time, you can’t just ride the highs and not get too low.”
What Drake Maye said about his rushing TD in the Patriots’ loss to the Eagles
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Maye did have a fun moment on Thursday with his rushing touchdown, though, when he ran downfield and scored on a play by the keeper. The Patriots actually had five other rookies on the field for that play, which was a cool moment for Maye.
“It was a great moment,” Maye said. “We spent a lot of time here, at the rookie meetings in the spring we were all alone. It was definitely cool to have those guys out there. I think the first thing I did was chest bump JP (Ja’Lynn Polk). So it was cool to be there with guys that were in the same place and going through the same things. It was a great time for us and a moment I’ll never forget.”
However, Maye hopes that he can celebrate better the next time he reaches the end zone.
“I didn’t really plan on forcing one, I probably should have thought of something to celebrate,” Maye said. “I usually do the finger roll in college, but I was just happy to get in the end zone and score points.”
