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“Aura” and “swag” are just some of the superlatives Drake Maye’s wide receivers are using after the rookie quarterback made his first start for the New England Patriots in Week 6.
Maye’s promotion above Jacoby Brissett couldn’t halt a losing run as the Pats fell 41-21 to the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, October 13. Yet Maye still threw three touchdown passes and did enough to wow receivers Kendrick Bourne and DeMario Douglas.
Patriots Wide Receivers Love What They Saw from New QB1
Bourne told reporters, including NESN.com’s Sean T. McGuire, how Maye’s “like a natural leader. His aura — he has aura. That’s important in football. Some people have aura, some people don’t. He’s kind of one of those. He doesn’t have to try, he’s that guy.”
Although Bourne was surprisingly chipper for a player who’d just been involved in a double-digit defeat, his excitement about Maye is justified. It’s also shared by Bourne’s fellow wideout Douglas.
The second-year slot receiver snagged six of Mayes’s passes against the Texans, including one for a touchdown. A connection is building between the third pick in the 2024 NFL draft and the player who is arguably the Patriots most-effective receiver.
Douglas also believes Maye is brining a new confidence to the team: “He’s got that swag to him… Run through a wall for him,” per NBCS Boston’s Phil Perry.
A more upbeat vibe among a struggling offense was unmistakable after Maye’s maiden start in the pros. He encouraged positivity with a number of big plays that are already redefining the potential for New England’s passing game.
Drake Maye Is Already Changing Patriots Offense
Maye changed the dynamic of the offense with his first touchdown pass in the NFL. The 40-yard strike to Kayshon Boutte “is why you play Drake Maye. Defenses have been playing the Pats with a single high safety. They’ve had no belief the Pats can win deep. Maye can change that, thus opening more underneath,” according to Chad Graff of The Athletic.
Expanding the passing game and stretching the field vertically have been obvious priorities for the Patriots. Brissett didn’t have the arm strength to make it happen, but Maye wasted no time attacking deep.
Part of that comes down to confidence. The other is attributed to superior arm talent. Both of those things are also benefitting Douglas on underneath throws.
Maye had no problem getting Douglas involved, even if not every attempt went to plan. Douglas wins in the middle of the field, and Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS highlighted how “Maye threw to DeMario Douglas on an intermediate in-breaker at least once each quarter.”
The Patriots need a QB-friendly target like Douglas to be a staple of their passing game. He was getting targets before Week 6, but Douglas’ average yards per reception jumped from 9.8 against the Miami Dolphins last week, to 15.3 with Maye throwing the passes.
It’s clear the Patriots have a signal-caller capable of manufacturing bigger gains through the air. That’s good news for an underrated fleet of receivers, even though Maye will still experience his share of growing pains.
He took four sacks and threw two interceptions against Houston, so Maye will need a confident attitude to move on quickly from those mistakes. He’ll also need to stay positive taking hits behind a faltering offensive line.
There’s a lot to do, but Maye has already won the faith and support of his primary pass-catchers.
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