FOXBORO — Patriots quarterback Drake Maye thought he was about to take the field for his first drive of the season Friday night, then had to stop.
His rookie teammate, TreVeyon Henderson, returned the opening kickoff of the Pats’ preseason opener 100 yards for a touchdown in just 12 seconds. That sparked an eventual 48-18 win for the Pats, but the extra time it gave Maye didn’t settle him down any.
The Patriots’ starting quarterback lost a fumble at the end of his opening drive, a third-down pass play he tried to extend past its expiration date. Maye was about to take a sack when he cocked his right arm to throw and the ball slipped behind him. Despite that pressure, allowed by rookie offensive linemen Will Campbell and Jared Wilson, coach Mike Vrabel put the fumble squarely on his quarterback.
“That’s a bad decision,” Vrabel said after Friday’s win. “I think we’re gonna need better from him, and I think he knows that, and that’s obvious.”
Maye, in his own post-game press conference, agreed.
“That’s what coach is talking about. I’ve got to do my part of protecting the football,” he said.
Maye said he was playing off instinct, just six snaps into his first live game action since last January’s season finale. He lasted only one series that day, and has since participated in practices where he can’t get hit. Faced with the prospect of a negative play, Maye tried to escape instead of throwing the ball away, which is what Vrabel would have preferred.
“We just have to be able to find a way to get rid of the football. Or take a sack and punt and play defense,” Vrabel said.
Last season, Maye had 10 interceptions and nine fumbles over 13 game appearances. The second-year signal caller is expected to make a leap this season under Vrabel and new offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, who has introduced designed quarterback runs that last year’s coaching staff was reluctant to implement for Maye. His only runs Friday, when he played just two series, were scrambles, but Maye’s mobility figures to be a factor all season long — provided he protects the football.
“We were able to kind of convert and score running the football. Drake scrambled, right?” Vrabel said. “Again, I’m all for him using his ability to run when it’s there. You saw him slide. You saw him be able to run in the end zone. Maybe just kind of how the game unfolded early.”
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