Drake Maye’s Bad Day Sparks Three Reminders For Patriots

The New England Patriots are underway in OTAs with head coach Mike Vrabel leading the way.

It’s one of the early football looks under a new regime and a brief snapshot of a growing process. That leads to over-examinations and massive analysis of limited reps. Those notes are exactly what came from Gillette Stadium this week when second-year quarterback Drake Maye threw four interceptions of a small session.

We already told you not to worry, but why? Here’s a few reminders based on Maye’s performance this week for the Patriots.

It’s May(e)
Seriously? We even have to talk about it?

Isn’t it better to get mistakes out of the way now. It’s not the preseason. It’s not joint practice. It’s not Week 1. It’s not the AFC Championship. A few mistakes in a new regime should not face the volume of media scrutiny that dominated Boston airwaves in recent days.

Learning Take Time
Maye is in the earliest stages of a new-to-him, not new to the Patriots, system under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. There’s going to be mistakes in the learning stages of a new system, especially one as complex as the six-time Super Bowl champion.

Drake Maye Is Not Mac Jones
Yes, Maye threw four interceptions the other day and did have a stretch of eight interceptions in seven games as a rookie. Intriguing? No, but it’s one area of his game as a rookie with no talent and poor coaching around him.

The four-interception OTA session should not spark concerns of the Year 2 regression that started the end of Mac Jones’ tenure as the franchise passer in New England. Maye is more talented with better surrounding coaching. Jones fell off in ugly fashion.

Once again, that is not going to happen with Maye this time around.