It's 'business as usual' for Drake Maye and Josh McDaniels

The Patriots' offense had a disastrous first month of the season.

Through the first three weeks, the offense has scored just two touchdowns, the fewest of any team in the league. They have turned the ball over eight times, tied for the league lead, and the most by a Patriots offense over a three-game span since September 2022.

There is blame to go around the entire offense.

The offensive line has struggled to put it all together, the run game has been virtually nonexistent, the wide receivers have struggled to consistently generate plays without A.J. Brown, who remains sidelined, and the tight ends haven’t been able to provide much production.

Of course, the biggest problem has been the quarterback, though.

A year after completing a league-best 72.0% of his passes, a Patriots team record, for 4,394 yards and 31 touchdowns with just eight interceptions, Drake Maye is now completing 63.8% of his passes, an 8.2% drop from last season, for 585 yards and just one touchdown with six interceptions and a lost fumble.

That league-best passer rating is now a league-worst 58.6 among quarterbacks who have started all three games. It’s 14.8 points lower than the second-worst passer rating, Justin Herbert’s 73.4, and a whopping 54.9-point drop from last season.

His six interceptions lead the NFL, while his one touchdown pass is tied with Malik Willis of the Miami Dolphins for the league low.

Needless to say, it’s been a tough go.

Now, there’s potentially another issue to add to the list.

On Wednesday, Maye appeared on the team’s injury report with a right shoulder injury, though he was a full participant in practice. Speaking after practice, Maye said the shoulder has not affected his ability to throw the football.

“No, it hasn’t. I don’t think it impacts my decision-making, and that’s what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks,” Maye said. “I don’t feel like we’re struggling to move the ball. I think we’re turning the football over, doing things that are preventing us from scoring touchdowns, and I think that’s one of the biggest things for me. I think we’ve had a history of good football when we don’t turn the football over, playing good football and finding ourselves on the right side of games. So, that’s the biggest thing, and I’m looking forward to another good week of practice. I felt good out there today.”

Speaking Thursday, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said he “believes” the shoulder was “dinged up” in last Sunday’s loss to the Jaguars, noting that Maye ran the ball four times for 18 yards in the defeat. McDaniels said the shoulder has not affected how he calls plays.

“No, it has not,” McDaniels said. “He’s always been a guy that can run and do things with his legs and all that, and he's taken a few hits since he's been in the National Football League. That's kind of a part of the process when you can make things happen with your legs. You're gonna incur some hits. They would obviously tell me if there was something that we felt like we couldn't do or he couldn't do; that has not been the case. I know he's a tough kid. I know that for sure. Doesn't make a big deal out of much. So, business as usual for us.”

That business-as-usual approach applies to Maye’s demeanor, as well. Despite the tough start to the season, McDaniels said he hasn’t seen any change in confidence from his 24-year-old quarterback.

“Honestly, I’ve played golf with him, pickleball with him, I’ve watched him play football, and I’m not really sure what changes that for him. He’s blessed in that regard. When I hit a tee shot in the woods, my confidence is shattered, and I'm going to do it again and again and again. He doesn't really do that. He can do that, and then the next one is down the middle, it's 340, and you're sitting and going, ‘How did that happen?’”

“I think his mindset is—and it’s the way you have to be as a quarterback— it's not too dissimilar to being a cornerback. When you say you've got to have a short memory, you're going to give up a catch. Quarterbacks, if you throw the ball enough, something bad's going to happen. Yes, there are things that we can do better. Yes, there are things that we can work on to try to make some of the negative scenarios that we've had happen go away, and that's what he's focused on. But his demeanor, his countenance, his facial expressions, his ability to interject things into meetings, has not changed. I love that about the kid.”

The Patriots need to find a way to turn that confidence into better results on the field.

They’ll get their next opportunity Sunday, when Maye and the Patriots travel to Buffalo to take on a Bills defense that has surrendered the 11th-most points (78) and eighth-most yards (1,084) in the NFL this season.