Drake Maye didn’t need a long explanation to show where his focus has moved after a painful finish to the New England Patriots’ season opener.
During a Monday interview on WEEI shared by ESPN’s Mike Reiss, Maye was asked about moving forward from New England’s 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.
His response sounded especially to a phrase often uttered during the Bill Belichick era.
“We’re on to Pittsburgh,” Maye said.
“We got another week, another chance in this league. Dealing with the ups and downs in this league, that’s part of it — playing in the National Football League.”’
“We got another week, another chance in this league. Dealing with the ups and downs in this league, that’s part of it — playing in the National Football League.”
More than a decade later, Maye is using a similar approach after a Week 1 performance that went sideways in the fourth quarter.
Maye Turns Page After Costly Seahawks Collapse
Through three quarters, the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft had New England positioned to escape Seattle with an impressive opening-night win.
Maye finished 23 of 33 for 178 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions, though. He had completed 17 of 22 passes for 127 yards with one touchdown and no turnovers through the first three quarters before going 6 of 11 for 51 yards with three interceptions in the fourth.
The Patriots had built a 10-0 lead before Seattle rallied. Maye’s final interception came in the end zone with New England within field-goal range and trailing by three, wiping away a chance to at least force overtime.
Maye didn’t dodge responsibility afterward. He admitted he had “lost patience” and made decisions that cost his team the game. New England had also lost A.J. Brown to an ankle injury in the third quarter, leaving Maye without his top receiving option during the game’s decisive stretch.
By Monday, rather than continuing to dissect every mistake, Maye was pointing toward the next opponent.
That’s where the Belichick comparison becomes hard to miss.
After New England was crushed 41-14 by the Kansas City Chiefs in September 2014, Belichick repeatedly answered questions with, “We’re on to Cincinnati.”
The Patriots’ own historical recap notes that New England responded by beating the Cincinnati Bengals 43-17, starting a seven-game winning streak on the way to a 12-4 record and Super Bowl XLIX title.
Steelers Defense Gives Maye Slim Margin for Error
The next assignment will demand a cleaner finish.
The Pittsburgh Steelers opened the season with a 20-13 win over the Atlanta Falcons, with their defense delivering the game’s biggest plays. T.J. Watt recorded two sacks and returned an interception 35 yards for a touchdown, while Pittsburgh forced two turnovers.
That makes the Week 2 matchup a sharp test for Maye after Seattle punished his late-game impatience.
The good news is that New England has extra preparation time before hosting Pittsburgh on Sept. 20 at Gillette Stadium. With Brown sidelined, the offense will likely need more from Romeo Doubs and the rest of the receiving corps.
Maye was direct about how poorly he handled the final quarter in Seattle, so for a quarterback coming off three fourth-quarter interceptions, at least the accountability has showed up.
Now comes Pittsburgh.
And in New England, a great performance usually follows the “on to” comment. Fans can only hope history repeats itself this coming Sunday.
Patriots’ Drake Maye Channels Bill Belichick With 4-Word Message Ahead of Steelers Game