Mike Vrabel isn’t backing away from Drake Maye after the quarterback’s brutal finish in the New England Patriots’ season opener.
The Patriots head coach reiterated his confidence in Maye during a September 14 appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” four days after Maye threw three fourth-quarter interceptions in a 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
Vrabel acknowledged that Maye has to make better decisions, particularly after getting New England into difficult down-and-distance situations.
His message, though, was far from a call for the 24-year-old quarterback to suddenly become conservative.
“You have to know who you’re playing,” Vrabel said. “When you put yourself in a third and long situation, and you try to throw the ball down the middle of the field, there’s a lot of bodies there.”
Vrabel added that the Patriots still “trust him with the ball implicitly to make great decisions,” whether Maye elects to scramble or put the ball in the air.
Vrabel Says Patriots Trust Maye ‘Implicitly’
Maye’s decision-making became the defining storyline of New England’s opener after an otherwise manageable night unraveled in the fourth quarter.
Maye completed 23 of 33 passes for 178 yards and a touchdown, but all three of his interceptions came in the final quarter.
The last was especially damaging with New England within range for a potential game-tying field goal when Maye’s attempted throw toward the end zone was intercepted by Josh Jobe, ending the game.
Maye admitted afterward that he stopped playing with the patience that had helped the Patriots control much of the game.
The numbers support the evaluation. Maye went 20-of-23 for 134 yards and a touchdown on throws traveling fewer than 10 air yards, per Next Gen Stats. On attempts of 10-plus air yards, he went 3-of-8 for 44 yards with all three interceptions.
Vrabel indicated patience remains part of the calculation.
“The patience is obviously being calculated and know when you can take a chance and where the ball has to go,” Vrabel said.
The challenge for Maye now is retaining the aggressiveness that helped propel him to an MVP runner-up finish last season without forcing plays when the circumstances call for restraint.
McDaniels Was Communicating Situation to Maye
Vrabel also touched on an important detail about what happens between plays.
Asked whether he or offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels gets in Maye’s ear to tell him what to avoid in certain situations, Vrabel confirmed quick communication happens.
“Josh talks to him,” Vrabel said. “I talk to Josh, tell him what we’re thinking as quickly as possible. This all has to happen pretty quick. I learned a long time ago if I’m gonna make suggestions on play calls, it has to be done pretty quickly because it’s just not fair to the play caller.”
That explanation removes one potential excuse from the Week 1 ending. The Patriots were aware of the situation, and McDaniels was communicating with his quarterback.
Maye ultimately had to make the final decision when the center snapped the ball.
Vrabel said earlier in the same interview that New England still wanted to attack the end zone rather than settle for overtime. The distinction he’s drawing is between calculated aggression and putting the football unnecessarily at risk.
Maye gets his first opportunity to show the lesson stuck when the Patriots host the Pittsburgh Steelers on September 20.
In the end, New England doesn’t appear interested in taking away Maye’s freedom, but Vrabel’s comments suggest the expectation is higher.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Makes Feelings Clear on Drake Maye After Week 1 Crumbling