The New England Patriots felt that rookie quarterback Drake Maye was ready to step into the starting role five games into the 2024 NFL season. Hence, his baptism of fire was against the Houston Texans, one of the AFC’s top teams.
Unfortunately, Maye and the Patriots did not get the result they wanted. They lost to Houston by 20 points despite scoring a touchdown in each of the last three quarters. However, the third overall pick in this year’s draft delivered a promising start that could bring New England back to football relevance.
While Maye threw two interceptions, he had a decent game, completing 20 passes for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He completed his first NFL touchdown to Kayshon Boutte, a 40-yard strike that erased the Patriots’ zero off the scoreboard.
He had another touchdown pass to tight end Hunter Henry and found DeMario Douglas for his third touchdown. However, New England didn’t score enough to overhaul the Texans’ huge lead.
Despite the defeat, Maye’s performance could be a step forward for the Patriots. Their 21 points are their highest total this season, five more than their output during their season-opening victory against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Likewise, Maye already threw more touchdown passes than what the Patriots generated from Weeks 1 to 5. His output might not be enough to chalk up another victory, but standing his ground against a potential playoff contender gives New England a quarterback they can build around.
Drake Maye TD passes today: 3
— PFF (@PFF) October 13, 2024
Patriots TD passes in the first five games: 2 pic.twitter.com/kAqDNLLq0H
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo should have seen enough from Maye to retain him as their starter. If that’s the case, the former North Carolina standout can earn his first NFL victory against Trevor Lawrence and the struggling Jacksonville Jaguars on October 19.
-Lance Fernandez