Cam Newton has not been shy when it comes to his comments regarding New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye.
And it continued ahead of the team’s regular-season finale against the Miami Dolphins, where Newton went in on Maye, saying that despite being the MVP favorite, he isn’t a “game-changer” just yet.
“Drake Maye is well and capable, has all the upside, and skillset. But last year, under his player’s status, a head coach was fired,” Newton stated on his “4th & 1″ podcast. “That’s not to say, ‘Aw, man, you can’t say that. That wasn’t all Drake Maye, he was a young quarterback.’ But, does Jerod Mayo have a job right now? Offensive coordinator was Alex Van Pelt. Is he an offensive coordinator anywhere in this league?”
“Now insert Mike Vrabel. Now insert a dynamic play-caller in Josh McDaniels. The system is right,” Newton continued. “So I can’t just sit up here and say Drake Maye is a game-changer right now because we’ve only had one season of dynamic play.
Newton knew that this opinion was not going to sit well with many.
“What I’m telling you is the truth. The person that’s delivering the truth, you may not like,” he said. “Drake Maye is a game manager.”
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Patriots’ Strength of Schedule Has Led To A Lot Of Doubt
GettyNew England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel
Going into this season, the Patriots had one of the easiest strength of schedules, which is why they have not received as much respect as they deserve despite their current record. People focus on the early mistakes during the season, along with a hard-fought loss to the Bills, but they seem to forget some other key matchups. How about when the Patriots defeated Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills in primetime at Highmark Stadium or when they defeated Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers? And of course, there’s the big win over the Baltimore Ravens in primetime at M&T Bank Stadium.
So, when asked about these easy schedule accusations, Maye made his feelings known.
“We play in the National Football League. Every team’s got great players. They get paid a lot of money,” Maye told reporters on Wednesday. “So, it’s not like we’re playing, shoot, Foxborough High School down the road. We play who’s on our schedule. We can’t control that. Just trying to go out there and try to win. A lot of these teams that we do play are good, and they’re in the National Football League for a reason.”
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