Josh McDaniels got most things right to help Drake Maye be a better quarterback in 2025, but the veteran New England Patriots offensive coordinator is urged to make a big change to the schemes in order to help the franchise signal-caller in one specific area.
The point of concern is how to help Maye be more effective when throwing on the move. It’s become a theme this offseason, with “personnel chief Eliot Wolf hinting at emphasizing pass protection and running more bootlegs for Maye, where his athleticism can shine as a thrower and runner on the move,” according to Patriots.com Staff Writer Evan Lazar.
Unfortunately, the Pats were inconsistent at best when McDaniels designed ways for Maye to move the pocket and shift his throwing platform. Lazar noted “the Patriots ranked ninth in the NFL in designed rollout rate (9.4%). The Pats efficiency on movement plays produced the ninth-best EPA per play in the regular season (+0.25), but that plummeted to -0.58 EPA per play against better defenses in the playoffs.”
Superior opposition wasn’t the only reason Maye couldn’t get the bootleg passing game working in the postseason. Instead, Lazar identified a deeper problem caused by what McDaniels wouldn’t call enough in another phase of New England’s offense.
Josh McDaniels Urged to Fundamentally Alter Familiar Plan
Helping Maye become a better passer on the move will start with how the Patriots run the ball. Specifically, Lazar cited how the Patriots “only ran outside zone on 17.2% of their run plays (26th in the NFL)” last season.
Not getting the defensive line to slide one way, while Maye escaped to the other, left New England’s QB1 under immediate pressure when he rolled out. Lazar pointed out how “the backside end, who is the defender the offense is trying to get to take the cheese, wasn’t biting on the play-fakes designed to get Maye on the move. On nine postseason bootlegs, Maye was under pressure 44.4% of the time and sacked twice. If the Patriots had a more effective boot-game in the playoffs, maybe they could’ve protected their offensive line better, which ran through a gauntlet of elite pass rushes.”
GettyMcDaniels might need to fundamentally change his tendencies to help Maye and the Patriots.
All of this makes sense strictly from an X’s and O’s standpoint, but calling more zone-stretch runs would represent a fundamental shift for McDaniels. A switch he couldn’t stick with last season.
McDaniels has long been tethered to power-based, gap and counter concepts underpinned by hat-on-hat blocking and big offensive linemen pulling into space to flatten lighter defensive backs.
Going against the grain more often this year should be easier for McDaniels thanks to new personnel. Personnel including what Lazar describes as “an athletic offensive line rather than a mauling unit.” He also cited how “Reggie Gilliam profiles as a more dynamic mover than an old-school fullback like James Develin or Jakob Johnson from the Pats of the past.”
There’s another incentive for McDaniels leaning more heavily into zone runs and bootleg passes. Both things don’t just suit Maye better, but also a key athlete who shares the backfield with No. 10.
Drake Maye and Patriots Skill Player Would Welcome Change
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel isn’t taking any chances safeguarding Maye’s development this offseason, so he’d welcome anything that better protects the quarterback. A Shanahan-style offense with moving pockets and lots of play-action passing off more zone-stretch runs is the most friendly formula for those who play football’s most important position.
It’s also a schematic blueprint for turning quick-thinking running backs into stars. That’s why second-year pro TreVeyon Henderson should want to see more outside zone in the McDaniels playbook.
Henderson’s under pressure to prove he can be a true workhorse this season. His chances will be better if Henderson gets more opportunities to use his legitimate game-breaking speed to attack the cutback lanes created on outside zone runs.
GettyMore zone-stretch runs would suit Maye and Henderson.
If Henderson continues as a mere supporting act to bigger, bruising back Rhamondre Stevenson, it will be proof McDaniels isn’t ready to change his ways. That may not be a bad thing, particularly if Maye gets more comfortable in a system that’s worked for decades, but there’s another factor to consider.
Namely, how Maye is very different to the quarterbacks McDaniels has traditionally thrived coaching. Maye’s athletic traits have already encouraged McDaniels to try new things.
His play-caller doubling down on those different ideas can take Maye to an even higher level in 2026.
Josh McDaniels Told to Change Patriots’ Scheme for Drake Maye