Drake Maye Dishes Thoughts on Patriots Preseason Finale vs. Commanders

The New England Patriots rookie quarterback got a strong learning experience in the last of his preliminary action.

Aug 25, 2024; Landover, Maryland, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) stands on the sidelines during the first half against the Washington Commanders at Commanders Field. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports / Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The New England Patriots got to see another taste of their rookie quarterback on Sunday night during the final preseason game of the year vs. the Washington Commanders-- and it's safe to say we saw another positive showing.

After getting the first drive from Jacoby Brissett to start the game, the Patriots got Maye involved with the action after his veteran counterpart suffered a shoulder injury to take him out of the fold early, and the rookie went out to do his job.

Maye finished the night completing 13 of his 20 passes for 126 yards, bursting onto his first drive, going 5/6 on his passes, and throwing a touchdown to RB Kevin Harris as well. Following another strong performance vs. the Philadelphia Eagles a week prior, it's clear the top-three pick is beginning to get increasingly comfortable in his new system.

Maye sounded off at the podium after the Patriot's 10-20 loss vs. the Commanders, describing it "felt good" being on the field, while still having a few aspects of the game to clean up moving forward:

"Yeah. You know, it felt good being out there. I think the biggest thing is just hurting ourselves offensively. Stalling drives and penalties and I gotta get us out of the huddle faster. Other than that, had a snap on the ground, little things like that. I gotta clean up. But at the same time, it's a great learning experience for us, and get ready for when things are going to start counting."

- Drake Maye on taking a step forward

The Patriots rookie mostly fulfilled his part, but the Patriots offense saw a few struggles that didn't do the UNC product any favors. More specifically, it was the offensive line that saw several hiccups through New England's final preseason showing, totaling ten penalties on the night for Sunday, with four of those flags coming from alignment issues.

However, through the troubles up front, the Patriots rookie navigated the storm pretty well. Things looked especially bright during Maye's first drive on the field, the one that ended with Harris hitting the endzone for six.

Maye continued to applaud the guys around him for making the play happen and executing well, while also leaving room for improvement:

"Yeah, I think the guys are just doing their jobs. I think that's the biggest thing, executing. Executing plays we practiced all week. Finding my guys, it is my job to get the ball to them. Backed up and we had a little snap and probably should've caught it. I think we were second-and-18 from there. Just can't shoot ourselves in the foot, you know, little things like that. It's a good football team, you know, we got lucky tonight so we just gotta start better."

- Drake Maye on first drive TD

The Patriots played far from perfect on Sunday night, but it wasn't without a few optimistic signs that shined through. Maye continues to get better every time he steps on the field, and continues to make an appealing case to get the keys to this offense a bit earlier than initially expected. Brissett may be the leader in the clubhouse to secure the QB1 title, but it's far from a surefire outcome.

We'll see if Maye gets a shot to start during the Patriots' regular-season opener, kicking off in two Sundays vs. the Cincinnati Bengals.

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