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Drake Maye was injured but his Patriots won anyway.
The former Tar Heel started his third straight game for New England Sunday, and it began better than his prior two starts.
Maye had already run for a 17-yard touchdown to put the Patriots ahead on their second possession.
Take it yourself @DrakeMaye2 👏
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/lDKGOnPLKj
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 27, 2024
He left the game late in the second quarter, was diagnosed with a concussion at halftime and did not return. But the Pats rose up in his absence to win behind back-up veteran Jacoby Brissett. It almost seemed like the promise Drake brings to the franchise has resulted in harder and emotional play from the defense and offensive line. Not great, but improved.
This was not the typical game between New England and the New York Jets that we’ve seen for years, when both teams were vying for playoff berths. But Gillette Stadium was still packed to the rafters, nevertheless, because it was rookie Maye and the Jets and their 40-year-old quarterback Aaron Rodgers who walked off the field with the same 2-6 record as the rebuilding Patriots.
Hopefully, Maye’s concussion is minor, and he will be back next week because he has become the 22-year-old hope of the future for this storied franchise. The fans love his style, his strong arm and his surprising running ability that we saw for two years in Chapel Hill.
When he went out, the crowd grew silent then erupted when Brissett led the team to a go-ahead touchdown and field goal and the victorious score with 30 seconds left in the game.
Despite playing less than half, Maye led the Patriots in rushing for the third straight game until the very last drive when they scored the winning touchdown on a one-yard plunge by Rhamondre Stevenson. Maye had scrambles of 18 and 17 yards that included the sixth TD he is responsible for in three games this season.
Brissett had been replaced by Maye because of his inability to stretch the field with long passes. But this time he delivered in the clutch, hitting critical third-down throws that led to a touchdown and field goal before beating the clock to the end zone for the 25-22 victory.
The result still keeps the Patriots and Jets out of the playoff race, so the eyes are on the future of quarterbacks Maye and Rodgers. Coming off in an Achilles injury, Rodgers is coming close to retirement after the Jets started slowly.
But the look on his face said it all as he left the field after being beaten by an old, underdog rival with a backup quarterback and the one, hopefully, getting ready to have his own all-star career.
Featured image via Associated Press/Charles Krupa
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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