Drake Maye didn't get the win in his first career start, but the New England Patriots' prized rookie quarterback showed flashes of his lofty potential during Sunday's loss to the Houston Texans.
Maye tossed the first three touchdown passes of his career and led the team in rushing with 38 yards on five carries. New England won't want its QB as its leading rusher each week, but the No. 3 overall draft pick's ability to make plays through the air and on the ground was undoubtedly refreshing.
Next Sunday in London, Maye will have a real chance to earn his first career victory against a 1-5 Jacksonville Jaguars squad. Former Patriots QB Brian Hoyer believes the game will come down to two key factors for Maye and the Patriots.
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He shared the Patriots' keys to a Week 7 victory during Wednesday's edition of The Gameplan.
1. Don't turn the ball over
No explanation necessary for this one. If the Patriots win the turnover battle against the lowly Jaguars, they'll have a good chance to win their second game of the season.
Maye will look to avoid the mistakes he made in his first start last week when he tossed two interceptions and was strip-sacked. It will be easier said than done behind a struggling offensive line, but protecting the football will again be crucial.
2. Get Drake Maye involved in the run game
Hoyer emphasized the importance of using Maye's athleticism by incorporating RPOs (run-pass option plays) and zone reads for the young signal-caller.
"This is something he's comfortable with doing. He's done it in college," Hoyer said. "Now, it's something you gotta really work at because you gotta work at pulling that ball in when you're gonna throw it.
"I think the other thing too is zone read and have a lead blocker with him out there. If you're gonna be in the shotgun, you're gonna have to alter that run game a little bit. Adding Drake Maye and using his athleticism, we saw it in the preseason, they ran a touchdown - I believe it was against Philly - on a zone read. So add some of those elements.
"We don't know if Rhamondre (Stevenson), where he's gonna be, if he's gonna be back. I think that was part of the game plan. Like, we have a new center, we don't have our running back, let's maybe get in the shotgun a little bit more. He's comfortable. Use that athleticism to help add to that run game."
First @NFL TD 👏@DrakeMaye2 | #NEPats
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 16, 2024
📺: @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/rDzGw6MwtI
Maye rushed for 449 yards in 12 games last year at North Carolina. Of course, the NFL is a different beast, but the Patriots shouldn't be afraid to utilize Maye's dual-threat ability this Sunday.
Pats-Jaguars is set for a 9:30 a.m. ET kickoff across the pond.
