Patriots QB Drake Maye

PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE

November 13, 2024

 

 

Q: Drake, a lot was said this week again, a sense of urgency. That was Jerod’s [Mayo] message. How do you take that? We kind of talked about what you said to your offense after practice one day last week. What kind of things go through your mind as you try to get back-to-back wins for the first time?

 

DM: Yeah, just build on it from last week. I think a big win in Chicago in an away game in a big-time atmosphere. I remember, shoot, the time I was yelling, ‘Set hut,’ for the snap a few times on fourth down before I called time out, they couldn’t hear me. So, big win from there, and just build on it. Like I said, sense of urgency, what Coach [Jerod] Mayo is preaching. I think it starts with cleaning up from the game Sunday, cleaning up some little things that I think we could have ended up being a bigger margin of victory for us, especially offensively. The defense did about all they could. Scoring in the red zone and obviously my turnover, we’ve got to just keep on these little things that can kind of help build the complimentary football that Coach Mayo is preaching about. I think we’ve got another chance here at home. L.A.’s coming off a short week, so we’ve got to prepare for them. They’re good up front on defense, so we’re preparing for them.

 

Q: How important has Alex Van Pelt been to you this season? How much have you learned from him?

 

DM: Yeah, he’s been huge. I think he’s just a confidence booster for a quarterback. You love playing for an offensive coordinator like AVP [Alex Van Pelt]. He’s positive, and also at the same time, he’ll coach you hard. He’s done it; he’s played quarterback in this league and at a high level, so he knows what needs to be done and the tasks. He knows it’s a tall task as well, which is pretty – him and T.C. [McCartney] both kind of have the quarterback minds, and Coach [Ben] McAdoo. So, those three all know what it’s like, how hard it is to play quarterback in this league and give a lot of leeway, but at the same time, know what needs to be done.

 

Q: Do you think you’re a lot better than you were April 28th or whenever the draft was?

 

DM: I think I’m working toward that. I think that’s more of a perspective thing. I wouldn’t say – for me, I’m just trying to build on every day. I think that’s more of a thing for the outside crowd to say. I think I’ve come a long way within the system, learning the system, knowing what to do, knowing where guys line up, getting in and out of run checks and pass things. So, I think I wouldn’t say better, I’d just say more comfortable. I think a lot of stuff is coming to tie together. I think I’m still a lot of the same player. The same plays that I’ve made in college I’m making today. So, I think just building on, getting more comfortable in this offense and just growing as a young adult.

 

Q: You were talking about AVP. What’s it like when the film comes up of him in Pittsburgh when he was playing?

 

DM: Yeah, it’s cool. He shows some of his guitar fakes, his play-action and a lot under center. He threw it well; he can throw the football. So, it’s cool seeing – he doesn’t throw very much anymore. I think he’s only thrown one time this season. But seeing him do some of the same actions or throwing the same concepts is pretty cool. It’s pretty neat sitting back there on some old, grainy film.

 

Q: Drake, what’s the support been like from Jacoby [Brissett] since he took over as a starter? Was it at all difficult to find when to speak up as a leader knowing he’s still a captain and still respected in the locker room?

 

DM: I think that’s a good question. I think Jacoby’s still a big-time leader on this football team. Especially, he’s in my ear, and I don’t know if you all see him on the sidelines, but it’s basically like he’s playing the game over there. He’s yelling, yelling at me, yelling at the refs on the sidelines. So, he’s very animated, and that’s his personality. I think everybody respects him on this football team and has a lot of respect. See what he did in the Jets game, I think that even just raised the bar of him coming in after me being the starter, him coming in and getting a big time win at home. I think those guys just respect him. He’s meant a lot to me as just a mentor, and just trying to learn everything I can. He’s probably tired of me asking questions, but I think he enjoys it, and we enjoy being in the same room together.

 

Q: Drake, the virtual reality headsets were a bit of a storyline this summer. I was curious, how much did those help you before you actually got to play? Do you still use them now that you’re actually out on the field?

 

DM: Yeah, they give some of the base concepts and some of the concepts we carry in week in, week out. A little bit of the two-minute stuff we have in some of the VR [virtual reality], but the VR has been a nice addition. I’m thankful to the Patriots organization for getting that and using that. I think it’s something every week, just going back to the base stuff. Sometimes we can throw in the  different team or the stadium we’re playing in and get different looks, so it’s pretty cool.

 

Q: Drake, what do you feel like you’ve learned about yourself over the past five starts that you’ve had? First five starts of your career.

 

DM: Learned about myself, I think just battling back from adversity. Adversity in times in the game, in times in this season. Starting the season, obviously, you plan on wanting to be the starter and handling adversity throughout the locker room or throughout just being on the football team. Then, handling adversity when I’m actually in there playing. So, just handling difficult times, bouncing back and knowing at this position that these guys look to me and know that I’ve kind of got to keep an upbeat mindset and an upbeat personality because these guys follow me, listen to me and respect me.

 

Q: Drake, I know you’ve mentioned as a football fan, getting to face guys like Aaron Rodgers. This week you get to face Matthew Stafford. Is he someone you follow as a kid and what does it mean to you to get to face him?

 

DM: Matt Stafford, I think back in the days watching the Lions, I feel like you always saw him play on Thanksgiving, and seeing him play is pretty cool with Thanksgiving coming up. So, anytime you play a Super Bowl-winning quarterback, a guy in this league who’s done it a long time and played at a high level, it’s cool to watch. I think I’ll definitely take a moment and always try to watch warm-ups, see what they do or see how he’s throwing it. I think that’s kind of the coolest thing that I try to do. Other than that, just hopefully get a chance to meet him, and I respect his game. Hopefully, just get a chance to come out with a win against a big-time quarterback like that, it’s always a pretty cool feeling.

 

Q: Drake, we asked Jerod Mayo about sliding and if that’s going to be a point of emphasis. He joked that there might be a sliding period in practice today. Has that been conveyed to you at all from the coaching staff in terms of just working on sliding and things like that?

 

DM: Yeah, I wouldn’t say working on it. I played baseball growing up, and I’ve slid. The one time I slid against the Jets, I got hit in the head. So, I think there’s times and places for it. I think I definitely need to do a better job of getting down and taking care of my body, and I know that. I took one in the Bears game that was dumb in the third quarter. So, I’m mindful of it, and the coaches are doing a good job. T.C. [McCartney] does a good job of emphasizing it. So, I think it’s kind of different when you’re between the lines and you’re trying to show your competitive side.

 

Q: Drake, you don’t show a lot of frustration, I guess I would say, on the field. Is not letting your emotions get the best of you or not showing emotions something that comes naturally, or is that something you’ve worked on?

 

DM: Yeah, I think it’s come naturally. Growing up, I was always kind of an even-keeled mindset. At the same time, I think showing frustration at times can be good for the offense and can kind of fire those guys up. So, kind of mixing and kind of feeling that out of when I could use that. Especially in practice, I think getting frustrated and showing, ‘Hey, we need to pick it up,’ sometimes can be good. So, I think just balancing that aspect of it and at the same time, remind those guys of pumping them up. I think everybody feels good when you get pumped up.

 

Q: People have talked about having short memory being beneficial during the games. Do you agree? If so, how do you manage to keep your memory short?

 

DM: Yeah, short memory. I think it’s one of the biggest things for playing quarterback in this league. I think you see it over this past Sunday, Jared Goff, I think in his game, he had some turnovers and what he does to come back and lead that football team to a win. I think there’s so many times throughout the season you see quarterbacks, especially at this level, that are handling adversity. It’s a tough feeling going out there after throwing an interception, jogging back out there and throwing it again. So, I think it’s something that’s kind of brushed under the rug when you’re facing a good defense. You go out there, make a bad play, have to run back out there, facing those same guys and have to throw it again. So, I think it’s definitely having a short memory, like you said, and just trusting those guys around you. I think our team does a good job, especially the veterans. Jacoby has been great on the sideline with plays, and I think just bouncing back and seeing how you bounce back.

 

Q: The team released the mic’d up piece of you from the game the other day, and a significant percentage of it was you basically pumping up teammates and encouraging them during the game. Why is that important for you to sort of take time during game day to make sure that you’re doing that for your teammates?

 

DM: Yeah, I think pregame is kind of checking in on the guys, see how they’re feeling. I think I was saying a lot of the same things over and over in the mic’d up. So, I kind of try to keep it simple and don’t try to bug anybody too much because everybody’s kind of got their own thing on game day. But yeah, I think pumping them up, like I said, everybody feels good when you say, ‘Hey, let’s go,’ ‘Hey, nice play,’ or ‘Hey, great job up front.’ I think little things like that can go a long way in being the leader on the offense and pumping those guys up.

 

Q: Did you end up going out to eat with your linemen? They caught you in the locker room saying, ‘Let’s go get something to eat tomorrow.’

 

DM: Yeah, we went to get something to eat. We got something to eat. What’s today? Wednesday? We got something to eat Monday.

 

Q: Did you go anywhere good?

 

DM: Yeah, we went somewhere. We went somewhere good.

 

 

 

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