The New England Patriots' season-opening loss left the reigning AFC champions with an uncomfortable air of familiarity.
The narrow defeat to the Seattle Seahawks was hardly as lopsided as February's Super Bowl 60 shellacking
. Yet for a team that made a concerted effort this offseason to address the undeniable deficiencies that became glaring in the title bout, the rematch resurfaced many of the same problems.Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald again vexed New England on multiple fronts. The ground game never got going, and the Patriots' passing attack was thrown off by Seattle's incessant pressure. Above all, though, the Seahawks again broke the game open on critical late turnovers by Maye, with three fourth-quarter interceptions this time derailing
the bid for revenge.
Putting yet another crushing collapse behind them would have been difficult enough for the Patriots on its own. But when it was revealed that wide receiver A.J. Brown would be placed on injured reserve and likely miss four to six weeks after spraining his ankle, an offense that became so rooted in his presence now looked potentially unmoored.
Addressing the loss on WEEI's "Jones & Keefe" on Friday, Sept. 11, Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels went as far as saying that moving forward without Brown would require an "all-hands-on-deck" approach. McDaniels conceded that no one player could replicate what the three-time Pro Bowler, who was brought on to provide Maye easier answers both in the vertical game and in the face of pressure, can offer the offense.
Where, then, does that leave Maye heading into Sunday's showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers?
Trying to leverage his considerable playmaking talents to ignite big plays would be a natural response for any young quarterback facing a similarly problematic outlook on the perimeter. Overcompensating, however, might be the worst thing that the runner-up for NFL MVP can do.
To not only navigate the absence of a gravitational force in the aerial attack but also take the next step in his evolution as a passer, Maye likely needs to focus on one trait above all: restraint.
Does Drake Maye need to be less aggressive? Not necessarily
For whatever disconnect emerged in the Patriots' late-game approach in the season opener, Maye and Patriots coach Mike Vrabel were on the same page about what drove the late breakdown after a workable start.
"I thought we had a good plan to try to start chipping away and be patient," Maye said after the game. "Lost patience and it cost us – decisions that cost us the game on my part, on my end. ... It's unacceptable."
Said Vrabel after the game: "You can’t throw three interceptions. Drake knows that."
Not being lured by big-play opportunities that quickly transformed into turnover traps was paramount to the game plan against Seattle. Maye complied for most of the contest, keeping New England in contention until his inexplicable heave to the end zone with less than 30 seconds remaining was brought down by Seahawks cornerback Josh Jobe, denying the Patriots their previously earned shot at an easy game-tying field goal.
Maye throwing all three picks once Brown had exited the game might sound the alarm for some. For the quarterback, though, his calamitous quarter should serve as a reminder of the need to play both within himself and the game plan.
Embracing a more cautious approach might seem like a way for New England to willfully box itself in after explosive plays fueled last year's second-ranked scoring offense. But Vrabel and Maye worded their reflections carefully. New England is intent on being more judicious without tilting into being overly conservative.
"That's what playing quarterback or playing in this league is all about," Vrabel said in a news conference on Sept. 16. " ... I think there's a difference between being reckless and being aggressive. We want to be aggressive. That's how we want to play.
"But we also have to make great decisions. When there's a look, maybe we take a certain play away."
With proper patience, opportunities for chunk gains should once again present themselves. They just might look a little different than they would with Brown in the lineup. New England wasn't particularly adept at capitalizing on contested catches last season, but Romeo Doubs could help the unit make substantial strides in that area. It's a skill set that surely could get the marquee free-agent signing more involved in the attack after he was held without a catch on three targets in the opener.
Above all, Maye has to embrace any opportunity to see another down when facing sufficient danger – something he eschewed late against Seattle.
When he harnesses the skill properly, Maye's proclivity for going big-game hunting can set him apart from his peers. But that focus – or drifting attention, as was the case in the season opener – also has worked to his severe detriment against top defenses in a different manner. His tendency to hold onto the ball past a point of safety colored a postseason run in which he took a record 21 sacks. His sky-high regular-season efficiency (highlighted by a 72% completion rate and league-leading 8.26 adjusted net yards per passing attempt) cratered in the playoffs, where he completed just 58.3% of his throws and registered a 4.5 ANY/A.
The temptation to sling his way back to the highs of his sophomore season could be strong, especially with the investments along the offensive line potentially affording him better protection against all non-Seahawks opponents further along on the schedule. But Maye is facing the challenge that any young quarterback on a similar star trajectory encounters. Like Patrick Mahomes and so many others before him, the third-year signal-caller now has defenses denying him the opportunity to throw over the top with any ease.
In sorting out how to move forward with his depleted receiving corps, operating with a reduced risk tolerance – at least to start – will be vital.
Revitalized run game could change everything
It's a fitting setup that this early potential inflection point for Maye and the Patriots comes against the Steelers.
In a 21-14 loss to Pittsburgh in Week 3 of last year, New England was plagued by many of the same ailments, including five sacks and five turnovers.
But as was the case against the Seahawks, another major shortcoming informed all aspects of the operation: a dead-on arrival run game.
Against the Steelers, the Patriots mustered just 74 yards on 22 carries from their running backs, with Maye providing life via his game-high 45 yards on the ground. In the loss to the Seahawks, lead ball carrier Rhamondre Stevenson had 10 of his 18 carries go for 3 yards or fewer. The net effect: Maye was repeatedly left in disadvantageous situations on second and third down, increasing the burden on him while allowing the Seahawks more freedom to tee off on him.
A pick-me-up, however, could be around the corner with the rushing attack.
Second-year back TreVeyon Henderson, who sat out the opener due to an ankle injury, returned to practice this week and is on track to play against Pittsburgh. His big-play flair as a rookie propped up an otherwise inert ground game, which ranked 25th in expected points added per rush even with his contributions.
Stevenson might still pace the attack, with Henderson's high variance as a runner and troublesome track record in blitz pickups working against him. But with Brown out and Maye trying not to force mistakes, New England might be inclined to turn back to the speedier back after his breakaway ability helped the offense tap into its explosive side down the stretch of the 2025 regular season.
The Patriots should also be confident that they won't find a team comparably adept at stuffing the run as the Seahawks, who last season surrendered the fewest yards per carry despite living in light boxes. For the Steelers, however, it's clear that shutting down that facet comes before teeing off on Maye.
"It's an issue only if we make it an issue," Steelers defensive tackle Cam Heyward said on "The Rich Eisen Show" on Sept. 15 when asked about Maye's recent turnover troubles. "As much as he turned the ball over, he's gonna try to overprotect the ball. But we have to get him in situations by stopping the run early, both first and second down, (and) controlling the play-action a lot more. ... (The turnovers) can't be a coincidence - we have to go out there and dominate from the get-go."
In taking accountability for his missteps, Maye on Wednesday returned to one of Vrabel's familiar refrains: "Be the conductor."
Vrabel previously used that nebulous term seemingly as a way to push Maye toward taking more control of the operation. At least until Brown is healed, though, the Patriots might find value in the less artistic definition, as they surely could use someone who keeps everything on schedule and gets them safely to their next stop.
If the conductor's hat fits, wear it.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Drake Maye has to step up – but not how you might think | Opinion
