The New England Patriots finally decided to let Drake Maye loose in Sunday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt had strayed away from calling designed runs for the rookie quarterback in his previous eight games. Keeping Maye healthy has been the top priority, especially since the 22-year-old suffered a concussion in Week 8.
Last week, the Patriots' refusal to call designed runs for Maye was the subject of criticism as it proved costly in the team's loss to the Arizona Cardinals. After they failed to convert on third-and-1 and fourth-and-1 at the goal line, many were left wondering why they didn't utilize their big, mobile QB in a critical short-yardage situation.
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It appears head coach Jerod Mayo's not-so-subtle call-out of Van Pelt was a tipping point. On Sunday, the Patriots called multiple designed QB runs for the first time all season. Maye was a fan of the change.
“I’m a big 6′5 dude who can pick up a yard and beat somebody with some speed. I think people underestimate me a little bit,” Maye said.
"I think it helps us offensively to move the chains. At this point, we need some help whether it’s short yardage or different areas like in the red zone for me to go make a play.”
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Maye finished with 30 yards on six carries, including a 13-yard scamper on fourth-and-1. His other designed runs included a QB sneak on the Patriots' one-yard line and a two-yard gain on second-and-1.
Judging by Mayo's postgame comments, we should see more designed runs for Maye in the Patriots' final two games of the season.
“For us, we thought that was best for the football team," he said. "He can make plays with his legs and he did that today.”
Maye had his coaches' backs after Sunday's game, calling the recent chatter about their job security "B.S." He'll look to help New England finish its tumultuous season on a high note, starting with a showdown with the Los Angeles Chargers this Saturday at Gillette Stadium.