New England's losing streak was extended to five games following Sunday's loss to the Texans, but there was plenty of positives to take away from Drake Maye's first NFL start.
The 2024 first-round rookie finished 20-of-33 passing for 243 yards with three touchdowns and two interceptions in the 41-21 defeat. Despite getting off to a slow start, which included a misguided interception on his third pass attempt of the game, Maye was able to produce season-high point and passing yard totals for the Patriots while surpassing Jacoby Brissett's two passing TDs for the season after just one full game.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo described Maye's performance as "encouraging," but ultimately thought the team's overall effort was a letdown when supporting the rookie's first start.
"I thought he showed a lot of poise," Mayo said of Maye. "I thought he went out there and controlled the huddle, got those guys out of the huddle and, once again, made some plays. It's definitely encouraging. From a team-wide perspective right now, we let him down. It was his first game and I feel like I let him down. I'm sure all the coaches feel like we let everyone down and we just got to be better."
Maye's shaky start persisted after his first interception as the Pats punted on their next three drives, but during a two-minute drill at the end of the first half he began to settle in. With only 16 seconds left in the second quarter, Maye placed a nice deep ball to Kayshon Boutte for a 40-yard TD to cut an early deficit in half, 14-7, entering halftime.
Travelling 51.7 yards in the air, Maye's TD pass to Boutte was the longest completion by a Patriots quarterback over the last three seasons, according to Next Gen Stats.
"That was kind of my thought process; give him a chance," Maye said of his first touchdown. "I thought kind of the Texans was kind of squatting us a little bit. They came out and challenged us and played in man so tried to let one ride and give Boutte a chance. He made a nice play, and it was pretty cool. I think both of our first touchdowns, so a pretty cool moment. I felt like in this group we can push the ball down the field and make plays in the passing game, so we've just got to keep ripping it and see what you like and I've got to make the throws, that's the bottom line. Make better throws."
Beginning the second half with the ball offered a chance for the Patriots to make it a game, but Maye was strip-sacked on the opening possession, one of four sacks taken by the rookie in the game. Another fumble by tight end Austin Hooper made matters worse for New England, but Maye followed that with a well-orchestrated, 75-yard drive that ended with his second TD pass to make it a two-score game at the end of three.
Maye's second interception came with the game still in reach in the fourth quarter when Texans pass rusher Will Anderson Jr. read the rookie's eyes on a screen pass, batting the ball up in the air and allowing Eric Murray to secure the pick deep in New England territory. But Maye showed diligence on their ensuing possession, zipping a nice 35-yard TD pass to Demario Douglas to conclude an eight play, 70-yard march.
The Patriots defense ultimately soured Maye's first start, surrendering points on five of Houston's first six possessions in the second half. It's why Mayo felt he let the rookie down on Sunday, but he wasn't looking past the silver linings seen in Foxborough.
"We fully anticipate or expect him to be better going forward," Mayo said. "This was his first start. Obviously, here at home, there was a lot of expectations on him. I thought he handled it well. Got to build on it."
With the Maye era officially underway in 2024, New England will go forward knowing what the No. 3 overall pick is capable of. His first start saw its ups and downs, but Maye won't be resting on the laurels of what was a hopeful beginning.
"Shout-out to the fans," Maye said. "I thought they were great. It gave me goosebumps going out there for the first time. They stayed basically almost the whole way through cheering, and it was pretty sweet to be out there in the reds. Like I said, I think we didn't come out with the win, and that's kind of the goal, especially in your first start. Coming out with a win, that would be something pretty special. Got to be able to watch the tape and learn from it and bounce back. We've got a long flight, so get ready for playing overseas."
The Patriots (1-5) head to London for a Week 7 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) at Wembley Stadium.
