Drake Maye Delivers Blunt Assessment Of Patriots Practice originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Drake Maye was not interested in sugarcoating the New England Patriots‘ performance Thursday. After New England completed its second joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles, Maye acknowledged the offense did not meet its standard in the most important area of the field.
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The Patriots quarterback told ESPN’s Mike Reiss the team “could have done more” in the red zone Thursday. That assessment hit different after Maye and New England’s offense generated encouraging results during Wednesday’s opening session against Philadelphia. The Patriots finished that practice with a productive two-minute drive, setting up a 52-yard field goal from Andy Borregales.
Thursday apparently did not deliver the same satisfaction.
Training-camp statistics rarely tell the complete story. Practices are designed for experimentation, situational work and correcting weaknesses before the games begin to count. Maye’s reaction still was notable.
The Patriots have built their offense around their young quarterback, surrounding him with an upgraded collection of weapons led by A.J. Brown. Those additions have raised expectations in New England, especially after Maye helped lead the franchise to Super Bowl LX last season. For the Patriots to take another step, however, impressive throws between the 20-yard lines will not be enough. Their offense must consistently finish drives.
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Maye clearly understands that responsibility. Rather than focusing on the positive moments from two practices against one of the NFL’s most talented defenses, he immediately identified the area requiring improvement. That is the type of accountability New England will need from its franchise player.
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Philadelphia provided an ideal measuring stick for New England. The Eagles brought a deep, physical defense to Foxboro, forcing Maye and the Patriots to execute against tight coverage and pressure. New England produced several encouraging moments over the two-day stretch, but Thursday’s red-zone struggles supplied a reminder that the offense remains a work in progress.
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The Patriots will have an opportunity to respond when the teams meet in Saturday’s preseason game. It remains unclear how extensively Maye and the starters will play, if they take the field at all. The larger takeaway already is apparent: Maye is evaluating this offense against a championship standard.
A productive first practice did not earn the Patriots a pass for their shortcomings one day later.
That mentality could be just as important as any highlight-reel connection Maye produces this summer.
