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They were on the wrong end of a heavy defeat in Week 12, but the New England Patriots should be just fine as long as Drake Maye remains quarterback. That’s the verdict of Miami Dolphins head coach Mike McDaniel.
He saw his team put a 34-15 beatdown on Maye and the Pats at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, November 24. Yet McDaniel believes the future is bright for Maye, even though that’s bad news for the Patriots AFC East rivals.
Speaking to reporters, including Ben Volin of The Boston Globe, McDaniel admitted, “Honestly I’m not really rooting for his development, but I can appreciate the player, and they have a very good player to work with.”
Maye didn’t have much of a chance to showcase his upside during a lopsided game between familiar division opponents. Nonetheless, this is the second time in as many weeks Maye has received a glowing review from a premier offensive-minded, NFL head coach.
Drake Maye Will Learn from Tough Day
The Pats were 31-0 down after three quarters, while Maye had been engulfed by relentless pressure from a swarming Dolphins defense. He averaged just six yards per completion and threw an interception.
This was a sobering afternoon for a highly-touted rookie who had been earning comparisons to a Pro Bowl passer before this week. The Maye hype train will slow down after a tough day in Miami, but this rough outing is still a learning moment for the third player selected in the 2024 NFL draft.
Maye sounds like he knows the value of embracing adversity and using it as motivation for working toward future gains. He revealed “I told the guys today, ‘Let’s remember this feeling, getting our butts whipped,'” per Volin.
That’s a mature response from a 22-year-old still learning his craft. One lesson Maye knows the Patriots need to take on board is not beating themselves.
The first-year signal-caller pointed out “Penalties. Penalties hurt us,” after the Pats “finished with 10 accepted penalties for 75 yards. Miami was flagged three times for 18 yards,” according to NBCS Boston’s Phil Perry.
Incurring too many flags wasn’t the only problem for the Patriots. Maye’s offense was also fatally undermined by feeble blocking up front.
A prime example of the breakdowns in protection was described in detail by Perry, when the Dolphins “ran the same T-E game again on 3rd and 15. Sack. And that’s after two QB hits allowed and a false start on Vederian Lowe. The offensive line isn’t allowing the Patriots to make an attempt at making this a game.”
Maye wasn’t helped by his teammates, but opposing coaches are still seeing the playmaker he could become with further development and a better supporting cast.
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McDaniel’s vote of confidence echoes what Los Angeles Rams head coach Sean McVay expressed last week. The Rams bettered Maye in a 28-22 victory at Gillette Stadium, but McVay saw a “special player.”
There’s something bittersweet about all of this praise for the Patriots’ would-be franchise quarterback. Maye would surely have a better chance of living up to his draft status if he had a daring and innovative play-caller like McVay or McDaniel overseeing his progress.
Instead, rookie head coach Jerod Mayo, whose background is on defense, is primarily responsible for Maye’s development. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt is another key voice, but Maye needs better weapons and more creative concepts to help unleash his full talents.
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