Despite the Patriots losing their fifth game in a row on Sunday in Buffalo, there were points throughout the 24-21 loss that had New England looking as complete as they have looked all season long.
This valiant effort for the now 3-12 Patriots came on the heels of a week full of questions surrounding the futures of both first-year head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.
Rookie quarterback Drake Maye was asked in his postgame press conference on Sunday about the team rallying behind their coaching staff despite their seats continuing to heat up as the weeks roll on.
“Yeah, just trying to block out that noise,” Maye said Sunday. “I think it's a bunch of conversations about our coaching staff and stuff like that. I think it's some B.S., to be quite honest.
“Coach Mayo, those guys - like I said, we’ve got his back, and he's coached us hard. He wants to win. We all want to win. We're all frustrated. AVP’s [Alex Van Pelt] been, I feel like, calling great the past weeks. We're just plays away, and it's basically me turning the ball over. I think it's just a testament to these guys that keep fighting. We keep fighting. Shoot, we're not going to make the playoffs; we're out of the race, and these guys are coming in, frustrated when we don't score. They’ve got energy at practice, and they’ve got energy coming into the game. We want to win. There's guys not even playing that are yelling on the sidelines and wanting to win. So, I think we're building something good, building something that feels right here, and I'm proud to be a Patriot.”
That’s a bold public endorsement for both his embattled offensive coordinator and his 38-year-old head coach, even if Mayo told WEEI on Monday that he wasn’t looking for a public vote of confidence from other members of the organization - namely ownership.
When Maye was asked on Monday during his weekly appearance with the WEEI Afternoon Show why it was important to back his coaching staff during his postgame press conference, the 22-year-old showed yet again why Patriots fans should be excited about the future face of their franchise.
“Yeah, it’s just a quarterback, just defending, you know, my people,” said Maye. “The people, you know, I work so hard with week-in-and-week-out. And I think just - I feel like it was the right time, and I appreciate those coaches for, you know, putting the trust in me. They drafted me, so I’m gonna go to war with those guys anytime.”
Later in the conversation, WEEI’s Andy Hart asked Maye, “You said something yesterday, ‘Proud to be a Patriot.’ That, I think, resonated with a lot of fans. I saw a lot of people reacting on social media. Why are you proud to be a Patriot?”
“Yeah, I’m just fortunate they took a chance on me,” Maye explained. “You know, I’m fortunate to be in this, up here with these guys, in this organization. What a winning history - I think that’s what you wanna be around, somebody who expects winning, and that’s how I grew up, you know? Expecting to win.
“And you hate losing - I think everybody can agree with that. And just the fanbase, how they’ve embraced me, I appreciate it. And, shoot, it’s just an awesome place to play football, and it’s a big responsibility playing quarterback here. And I take that, you know, with a lot of responsibility.”
Maye will get back at it for his coaching staff on Saturday, as his Patriots host the Los Angeles Chargers (9-6) at Gillette Stadium, with kickoff set for 1:00 p.m. ET.