Boston, Mass. (WEEI/WGR Sports Radio 550) - The New England Patriots fell to 2-7 on the 2024 season on Sunday following an overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans, 20-17.
Before the "L" was added to the standings, rookie quarterback Drake Maye set the internet ablaze, as he single-handedly kept the final play of regulation alive long enough to throw a miraculous touchdown pass to running back Rhamondre Stevenson, tying the game at 17-17 with clocks at 0:00 in regulation.
Even in defeat, Maye had his teammates buzzing in the locker room after the game at Nissan Stadium.
"That’s young Josh Allen 2.0," said veteran defensive lineman Davon Godchaux of Maye. "He looks amazing. I love watching him on the sideline.
"I tell the guys all the time that he plays like Josh Allen 2.0. I played Josh Allen in Miami his rookie year, and he didn’t look that good. And Josh Allen is a phenomenal player now, MVP-type player. Drake looks better than Josh did his rookie year."
During his weekly appearance on "The Greg Hill Show" on WEEI, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo pushed back a bit on the comparison from Godchaux of Maye.
"I call him Drake Maye 1.0. I don’t want to get into comparisons," said Mayo on WEEI. "Josh Allen’s a multi-year Pro Bowl quarterback, and we’re here at the beginning stages of a developing quarterback that I think we’re all excited about."
Perhaps the first-year head coach is trying to tamper expectations for Maye. Perhaps he’s trying to humble him a bit after, yet, another loss for the rookie. Perhaps it’s a combination of both.
But when you juxtapose Godchaux’s comments with highlights of Maye through his first four games as the starter, it’s clear this is an apt comparison - all the way down to Maye’s continued inability to keep himself out of harm’s way.
Maye entered Sunday’s Week 9 contest only seven days removed from being added to the NFL’s concussion protocol after taking on a helmet-to-helmet blow from New York Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood in the first quarter of his team’s 25-22 Week 8 win.
While Sherwood was not penalized during the game, Mark Daniels of MassLive reported that the fourth-year linebacker was later fined by the league $6,354 for the hit.
With that said, Maye did not play like a player coming out of concussion protocol on Sunday, carrying the ball eight times for 95 yards, 79 more yards than New England’s next closest rusher. And many of Maye’s runs ended exactly like the one that landed him the hit from Sherwood, sliding late with his head high like it was sticking out of a sun roof.
His final rush of the game saw him doing his best Earl Campbell impression, putting his head down fighting for an extra one-and-a-half yards with defenders draped around him.
These are the exact issues a young Allen was criticized for in Buffalo. While Allen is still good for one-or-two "no regard for human life" runs a game, he’s definitely done a better job with this as his career has progressed.
"When you sent Drake Maye the memo, did you bold that he needs to slide?" Hill asked Mayo on Monday. "Because I don’t know if he got the message."
"Look, this guy - he’s a competitor. He’s also a rookie, and he’s trying to make plays. He’s trying to do what he thinks is best to help the team win, and I appreciate that," Mayo responded with a laugh. "And at the same time, you know, we have to make sure that he’s protecting himself."
Maye was asked about this hard running style during his postgame press conference on Sunday.
"I'm not going to change the player that I am. I'm past the protocol and cleared," said Maye. "I'm going to be a player. They're dropping guys out and there's some rush lanes up front, I'm going to make them pay."
WEEI’s Courtney Cox referenced these comments in her follow-up to Mayo’s competitor comments.
"Being a rookie, though, and being able to continue in the way in which he likes to play the game - him saying after the game, ‘I’m not going to change the way in which I play, even though I went out into concussion protocol.’ Does that speak to him being young? Or is that just a guy who’s going to play the game of football the way in which he wants to play it, and not be worried about any type of injury or anything that could come his way?" she asked.
"Yeah, he’s a competitor," Mayo repeated. "He’s a competitor. I think as he continues to progress - yeah, he’ll second guess some of those hits that he’s taken. But at this time, he just wants to help the team win, and I appreciate that."
Would that awareness bump the rookie quarterback into Drake Maye 2.0? 3.0?
Whatever version it is, Patriots fans have to hope that this second guessing for Maye develops sooner rather than later.