Drake Maye's decision-making was horrible during his first two seasons with the New England Patriots, and it doesn't look like that has changed whatsoever.
In the Patriots' 13-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1, Maye threw for 178 yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions (all boneheaded and unnecessary, especially the final one of the game).
Maye wasn't the only player who struggled for New England in the loss, but he definitely lost the game for them. He tried too hard to play hero ball, and he kept forcing passes that just weren't there.
And that's been a problem with him since he entered the league. Some of the biggest knocks on Maye up to this point have been that he holds the ball too long, doesn't know when to throw it away or just takes sacks, and is a poor decision-maker, especially when under pressure.
There is no doubt that the 24-year-old has a ton of talent, and I still firmly believe he's the Patriots' quarterback of the future. But his lack of decision-making skills is a huge problem, and until this gets fixed, he and the team will never be able to reach their full potential.
Drake Maye needs to be way better for New England
I've been a huge supporter of Maye's since the beginning.
I thought the Patriots made the right call drafting him in 2024 (even though some people wanted them to take Marvin Harrison Jr. and just roll with Mac Jones/Bailey Zappe, for some reason). I thought they made the right call having him sit behind Jacoby Brissett for a little bit before giving him the starting role as a rookie (even when some wanted him to be a full-time backup because of New England's bad offensive line). I thought he solidified himself as a top NFL quarterback last season, in spite of the "schedule" debate. And I also thought (and still think) he could bounce back from his abysmal postseason/Super Bowl performance.
I also think what we saw from Maye was the absolute worst game we have ever seen him play, and most of it was on him. He lost this game for the Patriots.
The UNC alum lost Stefon Diggs and Kayshon Boutte in the offseason, and he needs time to gel with A.J. Brown (who is likely going to miss some time now due to a high-ankle sprain) and Romeo Doubs. That's fair. It's going to take some time to find your rhythm. But you also don't need to be Tom Brady to realize you probably shouldn't throw to Mack Hollins in double coverage with about 20 seconds left on the clock when you are already in field goal range and only down by three (and it was just third down, so there was no need to force it).
Maye is an incredibly skilled quarterback, but he is heavily flawed. He is only 24 years old, and there's still a ton of time for him to grow and develop, but his bad decision-making just cost the Patriots a win, and given that they have Super Bowl aspirations this year, this is an area they desperately need to figure out.
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