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Drake Maye and his team better get ready for the offseason.
I have loyally written about Maye through his seven games as the starting quarterback for the New England Patriots. After Sunday’s ninth loss of the season, I have nothing left to say other than, “Get a new team to go with your rookie star QB.”
The Pats lost to the Dolphins Sunday in a game that was not as close as the final score of 34-15. On their first possession, there were four penalties by the offensive line that turned a touchdown drive into a field goal attempt that was missed.
Miami scored 31 straight points until Maye escaped the rush and slung a 38-yard touchdown pass to a receiver who was wide open because the defense thought Maye was getting sacked again. Drake finished with his worst game as a semi-veteran starter, completing 22 of 37 with an interception and only 26 yards rushing.
The 3-9 Patriots have five games left, and only one is against a team that MIGHT not make the playoffs. After they face the Colts, they finish with Arizona, LA Chargers and two against Buffalo, all playoff teams. If they finish 3-14, they have a chance to get a very high draft pick to help Maye and the rest of the team get better, a necessity.
All over the NFL, you see players thriving on other teams after they left or were traded from the Patriots. Sunday’s reunion was with Jonnu Smith who had 9 catches on 11 targets and one touchdown after the Pats parted with him. Trust me, it has happened all season.
Maye has been the spark that has kept fans attending or tuning into games, but those audiences will dwindle heading into the off-season, where it has to happen with the Patriots if they have an owner willing to spend the money on free agents or a front office who drafts and trades wisely.
Tom Brady told Maye during training camp last summer that there are no shortcuts to greatness and every player needs to do the work to be successful. Maye will likely never leave the team’s training facilities in Foxboro this spring as he continues to improve his footwork and passing versatility while the franchise tries to get him more help.
Frankly, it is painful to watch, and Maye weathering the storm with no bad body language or frustrating gestures shows what kind of character he has. He is always seen encouraging his teammates and he will likely do the same in private meetings with head coach Jerod Mayo and executive director Eliot Wolf, also rookies who still have to prove themselves by putting a team together worthy of Maye.
Featured image via Associated Press/Wilfredo Lee
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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