Something is off with Drake Maye and Patriots fans need to worry (Getty Images)
Drake Maye has thrown six interceptions in three games, the most in the NFL, and the Patriots are 1-2 after a 35-6 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.
Coach Mike Vrabel says he does not expect any lingering shoulder issue. Maye says he sees no shoulder problem, but he sidestepped direct questions about it. The third-year quarterback added a fumble and two more picks against the Jaguars, and New England failed to score a touchdown in a loss for the first time in more than two seasons. Buffalo, still unbeaten, is next in the AFC East opener.
Brown has missed time since a high ankle sprain in Week 1. New England ran 26 times for 83 yards in Jacksonville, and the offense has scored just 29 points on 30 drives this season. Since the start of last season’s playoffs, Maye has nine fumbles and 10 interceptions in seven games. No one has reached both marks in a seven-game span since Jameis Winston in 2019.
“I’ve got to look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point,” he said. Vrabel also said he wants Maye to be energetic and that he “can’t be a robot here. He then received a pain-relieving injection before Super Bowl LX, according to the Associated Press. Vrabel said, “I don’t anticipate that being any issue going forward. Maye said Sunday, “I wouldn’t say there’s a problem with my shoulder.
The bigger change is how he plays in the pocket. He has forced throws into tight coverage, overthrown receivers and taken nine sacks. He has also admitted that shaking off a bad play has been hard. In the third quarter, Vrabel held Maye by the shoulders and spoke to him for a long stretch. ” The supporting cast has thinned too. Stefon Diggs is gone to Washington, and A.J. He is not expected back before late October. Without a receiver he trusts to get open fast, Maye has leaned on big plays downfield. The ground game has not eased the load. Questions about the shoulder surfaced right after the loss, and they remain open. Drake Maye landed hard on his right shoulder against Denver in the AFC Championship Game in January. He never had surgery, and no specific diagnosis has been made public. He has not appeared on an injury report this season. An injury would be the simplest explanation, but nothing confirms it, and the bad habits on tape look like decisions and timing. One number captures the slide.
On Monday, though, he answered three straight questions about how his arm feels by talking about execution.