If there's one silver lining for the New England Patriots after their demoralizing loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in London, it's that Drake Maye looks like the real deal.
The rookie QB completed 26 of 37 passes for 276 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions in his second NFL start. He now has 519 passing yards and five touchdown passes with two interceptions through two games after veteran starter Jacoby Brissett totaled 696 yards and two touchdown passes through the first five games.
Maye also appears to have the respect of his peers; Houston Texans QB C.J. Stroud sought out the No. 3 overall pick after their Week 6 matchup, and on Sunday, Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence tracked down Maye to offer some words of encouragement.
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"I just told him after the game he’s a great player and just to keep his head down, keep working," Lawrence told reporters after the game. "Just try to learn something every week. Don’t be too hard on yourself. You have to keep your confidence.
"He’s the leader of that team -- of that organization, honestly. When he’s on the field playing everybody looks at the quarterback and he’s a high pick, high drafted guy. Keep his confidence."
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Lawrence has been in Maye's shoes; the Clemson product was the No. 1 pick in the 2021 draft and endured a rough rookie season in Jacksonville, going 3-14 as the Jaguars' starter for all 17 games. The following season, he made the Pro Bowl while helping the Jags make the postseason with a 9-8 record.
So, it's fitting that Lawrence's primary advice for Maye is to be resilient.
“I didn’t say all this to him in the short conversation I had, but that’s what I would say: There’s going to be times when you get tested," Lawrence said. "Sometimes it’s hard. I’ve been there.
"It’s hard to keep your confidence when there’s things going on around you, or the team’s in a tough spot, and maybe you’re not playing your best as a player, but you just have to keep going to work every day, and keep your head up and lead your teammates. That’s the biggest thing."
New England fans should get used to hearing these kinds of messages from opposing QBs this season.
The 1-6 Patriots look like the worst team in the NFL after a 32-16 loss to the lowly Jaguars, and it's hard to see them winning more than three or four games the rest of the way. If Maye keeps showing promise, he'll continue to be the lone bright spot for this team and continue to get encouragement (bordering on sympathy) from other QBs after losses.
That should at least be the case next Sunday when the Patriots play their second game against the New York Jets and future Hall of Famer Aaron Rodgers, who sang Maye's praises after the teams met in Week 3.