After the Patriots’ first victory during his coaching tenure, Jerod Mayo spoke to the media on Sunday. After their road victory over Cincinnati (16–10), the New England Patriots showered their first-year coach with Gatorade as a sign of victory. Here are Mayo’s comments following the match.
“Thought the guys went out there and competed hard,” he said after the game. We discussed how to make them one-dimensional by starting and ending their run game, and we did a fantastic job at that. We’ll enjoy this one on the way home and look forward to next week, but I think there are still a lot of plays left. Extremely honored.
Bill Belichick Delivers a Shocking Judgment on Drake Maye of the Patriots.
Drake Maye is expected by the New England Patriots to be their franchise quarterback in the future, but if Bill Belichick were still in charge, things might be different. That presumption stems from Belichick’s devastating assessment of Maye.
During an Underdog Fantasy episode of “Coach with Bill Belichick,” the signal-caller Maye “needs a lot of seasoning in terms of reading coverages, overall throwing mechanics, and consistency.” Is he an athletic big shot? Yes. However, I believe more will be required before he is prepared to play quarterback in the National Football League.
Additionally, Belichick stated, “You want quarterbacks at this level to be able to hit a wide-open seam, throw slant routes to wide receivers, and check-downs to backs. Look, we all have plays that we wish we could go back and repeat. I’m only stating that these are some of the issues that we need to address. Maye, in my opinion, possesses a greater number of these than the other quarterbacks.
Bill Belichick's thoughts on Patriots Rookie QB Drake Maye 👀 pic.twitter.com/7kJAe2vLcg
— Underdog Fantasy (@UnderdogFantasy) September 7, 2024
That’s a really long to-do list from a coach who’s worked with every type of quarterback. Despite Belichick’s misgivings, Maye, a 22-year-old third overall pick in the 2024 draft, has undefinable intangibles that boost his potential.
Drake Is Maye Not Suitable for the Bill Belichick Model?
Belichick had previously voiced doubts about Maye’s capacity to adjust to the professional game. On draft day, not long after Maye’s name was called, he too expressed his emotions.
Belichick stated that Maye “hasn’t played very much” on “The Pat McAfee Show.” He doesn’t actually have a lot of expertise. He will require some practice reading coverages and defenses. He tends to bail out of the pocket rather quickly. He will have to persevere a little while longer in order to locate those receivers.
Belichick’s assessment of Maye has consistently shown one essential fact. Specifically, how the former North Carolina standout doesn’t match the esteemed former coach’s mold at the most crucial position in football.
Belichick prefers his quarterback to be a strategic thinker. When he had Tom Brady in charge, his career took off.
Brady was a master game manager who put in a lot of effort to improve and become much more, but TB12 always performed the tasks that the given game required of him. That’s okay if it meant passing the ball thirty times. So be it if that meant throwing below and playing small ball. Brady would air it out forty times in an attempt to find the big play.
Maye is a quarterback unlike any other; he’s willing to take a punt on his physical prowess and go off-script when the situation calls for it.
The Success of the Patriots Is Linked to a Different Type of Quarterback
Once he takes over for Jacoby Brissett, Maye’s ad-libbing may take some getting used to, but his incredible arm talent should make the unconventional times easier to handle. According to Ian Valentino of AtoZ Sports, this touchdown, which he scored against Clemson off his back foot, encapsulates Maye’s X-factor.
Awesome throw on the move from Drake Maye to J.J. Jones pic.twitter.com/mZvHeooDGw
— Ian Valentino (@NFLDraftStudy) November 18, 2023
It’s not like the Patriots are used to seeing their starting quarterback play without a plan. They haven’t had a starter as agile as Maye either.
During the preseason, the latter demonstrated his ability to move the chains against the Washington Commanders.
3rd and long… and Drake Maye finds a crease.
📺: #NEvsWAS on NBC/Peacock
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/1CrU2xiPyM— NFL (@NFL) August 26, 2024
Maye will approach things somewhat differently. Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes are more comparable to Brady than they are.
Maye might not make all the “standard plays,” but he’ll also probably end up on weekly highlight reels for his stunning touches.
