Patriots QB Drake Maye Transcript 10/8
PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
PRESS CONFERENCE
October 8, 2025
Q: What’s this Saints defense look like?
DM: Shoot, they’ve got some veteran leadership, for sure. They’re good on the edges; they set the edge well on the rundowns. They’re young in the secondary, but they’re good, they’re athletic, they play the ball really well. I think they’re leading the league in PBUs or something like that. They forced five turnovers last week, so they’re great at punching at the ball. They’ve got some veterans up front, some guys up front that have played a long time. [Demario] Davis in the middle, I heard he’s one of the greatest dudes and one of the greatest leaders in the NFL. So, we’ve got our hands full. They’ve got a good defensive coordinator who does some good stuff. It’s a challenge, a challenge going down there. I know the noise can get loud, and I know they’ve come off a big win. So, it’s a challenge any time we’re going on the road and playing an opponent that is top-whatever they are in turnovers and playing the ball in the air. So, we’ve got to be ready for them.
Q: How important is it for you, collectively, and even on offense, to kind of keep the momentum going after your win in Buffalo?
DM: It’s huge. That one’s in the past; keep going. You’ve got to get back at it this week. It’s huge. It starts with just positive plays. Keep going, get the first first down, and just keep staying ahead of the chains. I think we’ve done a good job when we stay ahead of the chains in scoring touchdowns and another emphasis of scoring touchdowns at the red zone. I think we came up short a little bit last week. So, that’s kind of a big thing coming into practice on Friday. Then from there, get on it tomorrow for third down and just continue to watch them. It’s a different opponent. We don’t see them much, an NFC team, so just kind of try to get to know them and know that they’re at home. They’re going to want to play hard and force turnovers.
Q: Do you believe in momentum, or are you more to wipe the slate clean and start over?
DM: I think it’s something you can build off, for sure. I think the guys – obviously it builds confidence. That’s what Coach [Mike Vrabel] always preaches. Getting wins and the win column build confidence, but you’ve got to flush it, keep going and worry about – it’s any given week in this league. You learn that really fast. So, everybody’s got good players and good scheme. The more you play, the more they get tape on you. So, pick up habits and tendencies.
Q: Obviously, that being such a big win for you guys and it being a national TV game, I’m wondering, have you heard from people that you didn’t expect to hear from playing the way you did the other night? Has that in any way made it hard to move on, even though you guys need to?
DM: Yeah, no. I mean, you get some texts from people around the league, but I think it’s more about getting back at it. You can remember one game and whatever week that was, Week 5, and it doesn’t mean anything unless you keep building on it and make it an ongoing thing. So, that’s the big thing.
Q: How do you explain your connection with Stef [Diggs], given he couldn’t participate much in the spring, obviously wasn’t here last year? Because it’s produced to a really high level the last two weeks. How did that come together so quickly?
DM: Yeah, I think the biggest thing is he’s a receiver that’s easy to throw to. He’s got great hands. He can catch it different ways with his body. He turns with the football and makes people miss very easily. It’s very natural. You can just tell he’s played receiver a long time and played at a high level. So, just trying to put it in his vicinity, and he always says, ‘I got you.’ So just trust that, and I think it’ll just continue to build and build and try to get him in the end zone.
Q: I just want to follow up what Phil [Perry] was saying before. So, you get these texts from other people around the league. Expectations have definitely raised for this team. I mean, league-wide, people are talking about the Patriots now. Is it fair to hold yourself to a different standard now, or is this kind of where you’ve been?
DM: I wouldn’t say a different standard. It’s just something we’re trying to work towards, building the standard for us as a team, making it hard to beat us at home and making a tough team that we’re bringing on the road. We’re trying to build our identity. I wouldn’t say the standard has changed. We’re just trying to keep building it and keep showing ourselves and showing people around the league.
Q: You mentioned all the takeaways that the Saints had last week. It seems like you’ve done a much better job this season of avoiding turnovers. What have been the steps toward avoiding those plays so far this season?
DM: First off, the guys up front are playing their butts off. They’re protecting me great. I joke with them all the time; I think the sacks I’ve taken have been basically on me. So, maybe they’ve gotten beat a few times, but they’ve done a great job, and they’re playing hard. Also, it comes with the scheme. We’re chipping on the edge, and we’re getting the ball out fast. The guys have really taken home inside-out protection, and they keep on playing every week and playing hard. They want to continue to run the football, and I think that will only help limit turnovers more down the road is being able to run the football and stay ahead of the chains.
Q: How does it change your process when you’re going against a zone defense that likes to play more spot drop versus ones that like to do more pattern match?
DM: The Saints do a good job of matching. They’re going to play some zone and then play some two-deep. When they go to post-safety, they’re going to match our routes, and they’re good at playing the football. I think it changes, more of a receiver mentality. Instead of depth and spacing, winning versus match coverage, winning versus man, and winning your one-on-ones is what it comes down to. It comes down to, for me, ball placement, get it out on time and making sure the football is in the right spot for them to catch and run or catch and make a play. So, that’s kind of the biggest thing. They’ve got some young DBs out there. They’re fast, and they make great plays on the ball. I’ve played a few of them in college.
Q: In Buffalo, on a play in the second quarter, you found TreVeyon [Henderson] for a very short gain. In the same quarter, later in the same quarter, same play, you found Hunter Henry for a 22-yard gain. So, what did that play, what did that sequence, mean to you, and what can we say about you guys?
DM: Just taking in-game coaching and in-game, looking at the tablet. I feel like I look at it and try to get a good grasp of it. I felt like I had the crosser right when I threw the check down to TreVeyon. I thought to myself, ‘Man, I may have had it behind him.’ Just trying to play off of tendencies in the game. I think we got the same coverage on that play, so just trying to learn from it. Hunter made a great play. What a catch he made over the middle. Just learning from previous plays and a lot of times, they show up again.
Q: Have you had an offensive coordinator who’s so willing to repeat play calls within the game, and how does that help you in terms of being able to learn and grow throughout?
DM: I think it’s really big in college. Teams repeat plays all the time. In the NFL, it’s not as common, but I love repeating plays and running the same stuff. I think you get a good grasp. Sometimes you get the same coverage, sometimes you get different. That’s really what practice is for. It’s a little bit of a simulation at practice. You repeat the same plays, get different looks and try to be successful. So yeah, it’s good. Plays that you like especially, you like repeating them.
Q: Do you have any connection with [Spencer] Rattler?
DM: Yeah, I got to know Spence a little bit throughout the draft process. Obviously, same class. I got to know him one other time. Where was it? Maybe at Manning Camp. I’m not sure what it was, but yeah, great dude. I played him at South Carolina. Shoot, what am I thinking? I played him at South Carolina, the home opener. It was in Charlotte my last year of college, our last year. So yeah, big fan. He’s playing some good football, and I like the way he throws it. So yeah, big fan of Spencer.
Q: Drake, you mentioned on the tablet after the game, too, that you’re watching it instead of looking at the kick. The run game stuff, I was just curious, how do you feel like that’s coming along in terms of making checks and stuff like that?
DM: Yeah, shoot, trying to get us into good looks. I think we’re close in the run game. We’ve got some ones that are close to popping. It’s a big emphasis every week to try to run the football, and those guys are doing a great job. I think just finishing blocks a little longer. The backs are running well, so just finish blocks a little longer. Those guys are doing a great job, but I think some run games, some big runs are just kind of what we’ve been missing a little bit, just being real explosive. I think those are coming in the near future.
Q: Has Will [Campbell] shared anything about the Superdome, having been there plenty of times?
DM: Yeah, I talked to Will. It’s a home game for him, so it’ll be pretty cool. I went down there last year for the Super Bowl, so I saw it a little bit. But I think Will playing in New Orleans, I’m not sure if he’s ever played in there, but obviously he grew up around there. He says it gets loud. It’s different. I think the sideline’s a lot bigger and the fans are a little farther from us, but I think they hold noise pretty well. So, I’m looking forward to playing down there. I heard it’s a really cool spot.
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