The Drake Maye Report: Rookie’s Anticipation on Display in Red Zone

With the intensity dialed back, the Patriots focused on perfecting their passing game, providing ample opportunities for quarterbacks to showcase their skills. As part of our ongoing coverage, we bring you The Drake Maye Report, where we dissect the rookie’s performance and analyze his progress.

The Rep Report

Drake Maye saw a significant volume of reps, but Jacoby Brissett took the lead in terms of first-team snaps. Both quarterbacks received six 7-on-7 reps, while Brissett saw 12 pass plays in 11-on-11 periods. Maye, on the other hand, threw eight passes in full-team work. Joe Milton had seven dropbacks in 11-on-11 work, and Bailey Zappe did not participate in team periods.

Crunching the Numbers

Brissett finished 6-for-11 in full team periods and 2-for-6 in 7-on-7 work, making him 8-for-17 in competitive snaps. Maye was 5-for-8 in full team work and 3-for-6 in 7-on-7, making him 8-for-14 in competitive periods. One of Brissett’s attempts was marred by a pass interference penalty, while Maye’s unit suffered two false starts.

Play of the Day

Maye continued to shine in 7-on-7 periods, showcasing his ability to deliver accurate passes on time. He demonstrated real anticipation, firing two skinny posts to the back of the end zone before his pass-catchers had turned to look for the football. This level of decisiveness is crucial in the red zone, where Maye will need to consistently exhibit it to earn the trust of his coaching staff.

This video provides a clear example of Maye’s anticipation, as he looks off Brenden Schooler by keeping his eyes left before quickly coming back to his right and throwing to Javon Baker.

Why He’s Ready

In this section, we highlight the portions of Maye’s performance that suggest he’s prepared to take on a more significant role in the offense. Maye’s 11-on-11 passes were primarily of the check-down variety, which should be acceptable to his coaches. They want him to play within the structure of the offense and avoid freelancing in practice settings. Seven of his eight competitive snaps in team drills didn’t travel beyond 10 yards of the line of scrimmage.

Maye’s anticipation in 7-on-7 work is also worth noting. He demonstrated a strong bounce-back ability, overcoming an ugly rep early in the practice to complete his next three throws, including the two Plays of the Day. This resilience is essential for a young quarterback.

Why Patience is a Virtue

In this section, we highlight the portions of Maye’s performance that suggest he’s not quite ready to sit atop the quarterback depth chart. Maye occasionally displayed hesitation and indecision, particularly in 11-on-11 work. This was evident in his first dropback of the practice, where he pump-faked and then completed a pass to Kayshon Boutte late in the down.

The same issue arose again on the near-pick by Gonzalez, where Maye hurried a late-in-the-down throw because what he expected to be there initially was not. This impacted his footwork and his eyes, and he nearly turned it over.

Until Maye’s 11-on-11 work becomes as consistently on-point as his 7-on-7 periods, his coaching staff likely will want him to continue developing as their No. 2 behind Brissett. The question is whether or not Maye’s 11-on-11 reps are being submarined by the backup line he’s been provided.

Would Maye’s apparent indecision and off-again, on-again hesitation in those full-team periods be cleaned up if he worked with David Andrews, Mike Onwenu, and Sidy Sow as his interior linemen? We may get an opportunity to see that this week, as the Eagles come to town for a practice Tuesday and a preseason game Thursday, when Maye is expected to get more work.