Drake Maye gives Patriots something to think about after impressive game vs. Eagles

FOXBORO -- Drake Maye not only got extended playing time in Thursday night's preseason loss to the Eagles, but the Patriots rookie quarterback played extremely well during his time on the field. Maye found the end zone for the first time of his NFL career, and will give the Patriots something to think about heading into their final preseason game.

After starter Jacoby Brissett struggled in his two series under center (the veteran was 3-for-7 with an end zone interception), Maye got to play the entire second and third quarter for New England. Both of his drives in the first half resulted in points for the Patriots.

Drake Maye runs for his first preseason touchdown

After leading the Patriots to a field goal on his first series, which included a nice third-down connection with fellow rookie Javon Baker to move the chains, Maye found the end zone on his second drive. With the Patriots facing a third-and-goal on the Philadelphia 4-yard line, Maye faked a handoff to JaMycal Hasty and kept it on a zone read. The 21-year-old easily scampered into the end zone for six points. 

Maye was greeted with a number of high-fives and hugs on the sideline -- with New England's three other quarterbacks all celebrating with him -- as his score and ensuing point-after put the Patriots on top, 10-3. He was one of five Patriots rookies on the field on the play, which he said made the touchdown all the more special.

"It's an awesome moment. We've spent a lot of time together in rookie meetings. It was cool having those guys out there," said Maye, who added that the equipment crew gave him the ball. "Fun time for us and a moment I'll probably never forget."

Maye was calm and cool during his extended appearance

Maye showed off his poise and calmness throughout his time on the field in the first half, completing five of his seven passes for 47 yards. It was present on his second snap, after Vederian Lowe was hit with a false start to set up a second-and-11. Maye didn't fret and scrambled for six yards on the next play, taking a pretty big hit at the end of his run. But it led to a much more manageable third-and-5, where Maye then hit Javon Baker over the middle for 12 yards to keep the drive moving. The drive ended with a 51-yard field goal by Joey Slye to tie the game, 3-3.

Just before his touchdown run, Maye saw a Philly blitz coming on a third-and-11 play and made a smart dump-off to Hasty that went for 23 yards. That was one of a few occasions where the rookie took what the defense gave him and didn't force anything downfield.

"Every time you get out there you get more and more confident. First time there will be nerves, but more reps will only help me," said Maye. "At the end of the day, I'm fortunate to get some reps and try to make the most of my opportunities."

Mayo was impressed with what the rookie showed in the first half.

"He had great composure. I thought it was a great drive and he went out and did a lot of good things. We'll see how this week goes," said Mayo.

The Pats sent Maye back out there to start the third quarter to see how he handled halftime adjustments. Maye was just 1-for-4 in the second half for no passing yards, but he didn't get much help. Nick Leverett delivered a low snap on the first play of the second half, and a few plays later Baker dropped a beautiful deep ball from Maye when he hit the turf on third-and-10. Maye showed poise in the pocket as he slid to his left before delivering that bomb to Baker.

He made a few wise scrambles and throwaways on his final series of the night, which ended when Maye was sacked on a third-and-10 when Lowe missed his block.

What will the Patriots do with Maye in preseason game No. 3?

Maye finished his night 6-for-11 for 47 yards through the air, plus another 15 yards on his four scrambles. Now we'll see where the Patriots go with both Brissett and Maye leading up to preseason game No. 3 against the Washington Commanders next Sunday night. 

Mayo said the concerns about the team's offensive line wouldn't keep the rookie on the bench if he surpasses Brissett on the depth chart, which has been a growing conspiracy theory in New England.

Will Maye pass Brissett before the regular season arrives? Probably not, with Brissett well ahead of Maye on the practice field. But Maye was impressive on Thursday night, and has at least earned the chance to play with New England's No. 1 team this week in practice.

And if Thursday night is any indication of what's to come, Maye's opportunity to start a meaningful football game may come sooner than expected.

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