Maye reveals one important thing he wants to work on in offseason originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Drake Maye made a lot of positive strides in his development as a rookie during the 2024 NFL season, but plenty more work remains before the New England Patriots quarterback becomes a top-tier player at his position.
The No. 3 pick in the 2024 draft completed 66.6 percent of his passes for 2,276 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions in 13 games. He also ran for 421 yards (7.8 per carry) and two more touchdowns.
What exactly is Maye looking to improve during this important offseason? He was asked that question Thursday during an interview with SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“Situational football is huge,” Maye said. “Playing my position, you have to be in tune in every situation. It’s on you. Those guys are looking at you — the other 10 guys on the field, it’s your job to get things going and get things on the right page.
“So I think situational football and just continuing to grow as a leader. As a quarterback, you always have to grow as a leader.”
Situational football was a huge strength of the great Patriots teams led by Tom Brady and Bill Belichick, but in recent seasons — and especially in 2024 — New England really struggled in these situations.
The Patriots went 3-6 in games decided by a touchdown or less last season, and one of those wins was a costly Week 18 victory over the Buffalo Bills’ backups. Penalties, not converting on third down and turnovers often hurt the Patriots in these clutch situations.
Maye can certainly be better in those situations, too. He made his share of mistakes in late-game moments, including interceptions toward the end of losses to the Tennessee Titans and Los Angeles Rams.
Situational football has been a strength of Mike Vrabel-coached teams in the past, so Patriots fans should be optimistic about their new head coach’s chances of improving that aspect of the roster.
