Patriots QB Drake Maye Postgame Transcript 10/11

PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE

PRESS CONFERENCE

October 11, 2026

 

 

Q: Hey, Drake. Given all the injuries you headed into the game with as well as the injuries that occurred during the game, how gratifying was it for you to pretty much post points almost every single drive?

 

DM: Yeah, I’m just proud of these guys for stepping up. I mean, offense, defense, overall as a football team, that’s a – I think we talk about identity with Coach [Mike] Vrabel. I mean, that’s a Coach Vrabel football team of stepping up, being ready to take advantage of your opportunity, and he always says when somebody gets their opportunity, he’s excited to watch them play. I think guys are living that, and you saw that today.

 

Q: Drake, you talked about keep going up, keep climbing up. What did you take out of last week into today, and how good did you feel out there running that offense?

 

DM: Yeah, I think Coach [Josh] McDaniels was – it was beautiful. It was beautiful to be a part of today. He was clicking on all cylinders, making us look good, and we were executing. I think that’s what it’s like when we put some things together, and we still have some. I mean, it’s crazy to say we’ve still got some left to squeeze. We had a fumble, and I think there’s still a turnover-free game. When we get down there in the red zone, we had a chance to Rome [Doubs] on the on the fade and missed him, so there’s still some out there. But I’m proud of the guys, the way they stepped up and proud of this football team for complementary football. We fumbled it, we got a stop, we went down and scored, so it was cool to be a part of.

 

Q: You converted fourth downs in back-to-back games on multiple occasions and scored, so is this something that you guys want to build into your offensive identities moving forward?

 

DM: From last year early on, Coach Vrabel, I remember in Miami, going for it even against the Raiders the first game. We went for it on fourth down, and he set the tone for us wanting to get back in the huddle and me knowing – I think it’s a big advantage knowing on third-and-long or third-and-medium, we’ve got two downs. It gives me and Coach McDaniels some extra room to operate and be on the same page with the call and trying to get us some fourth-and-manageable, and I think we keep on proving him right. We’ve got to keep on doing that to earn his trust and keep his trust.

 

Q: Drake, obviously big plays, explosives were a big part of the offense last year. How does it feel to be able to get back to that part of the offense the last couple weeks where you’re hitting those big plays down the field?

 

DM: Yeah, I think just like I’ve said in previous ones, we’ve got to hit them when we get the chance to, and we hit most of them today. We still have some that I think we could’ve even had some more explosives, so I’m proud of the guys for executing when we got the chance. Thought everybody was making plays, different amount of guys, and just proud of the guys for being willing to go in there, move some formations around when guys go down and still be on the same page and execute.

 

Q: Robert [Spillane] was just saying that you were smiling on the sideline and just really confident in the way you played today. Did you feel that way, and just those sideline smiles, what did it just feel like on the field to drive and getting your guys the ball the way you did?

 

DM: It’s just awesome for me to see guys like Caleb [Lomu] getting in there and playing his butt off, different guys and Pop [DeMario Douglas] have been playing and running routes well all year and finally getting rewarded. It’s just, I just love to see guys that do the right things over and over and finally get rewarded in the game, and I think that’s one of the best things about my position is able to spread the wealth and see other guys succeed. It’s beautiful to watch.

 

Q: Drake, confidence is such a big word in sports. Did anything click? Was it one thing you could say kind of got you going in that right direction for yourself, what you’ve done the last two weeks, or is it just kind of working with Josh and self-reflection and kind of moving forward that way?

 

DM: Yeah, I’m going to be confident going into every game. I’m confident in the guys around me, confident in myself, and I think it’s just really just a example of practice execution showing up in the game. I think that’s the biggest thing that I can maybe hint at is guys in practice that are treating the walkthroughs and times when we’re even in the reps we have in full speed and making them count. Realizing that practice, the looks we get in practice can show up in the game. If they don’t, just being on the same page and finding ways to move the ball, and we did that today.

 

Q: First of all, the, the hook and lateral, was that a design play from [Efton] Chism [III] to Pop Douglas?

 

DM: I think Chis just made a great decision. He saw TreVeyon [Henderson] over there and gave him the throw.

 

Q: You seem so calm and poised back there today. Even when there was rush, you made the flip, you made really good decisions. Do you feel the game slowing down for you a little bit now? Do you feel like you’re kind of playing like you were last year?

 

DM: Like I said, I’m going to come into every game and every week and attack it, and I’m confident in myself and my abilities and the guys around me. Part of it in the first touchdown to Pop, I’m back there – credit the offensive line eating a ham sandwich, so I’ve got all day back there. I think that’s things I’m working on back there when I’ve got time just to sit in there and find somebody open. Credit those big guys, credit Coach McDaniels and the coaching staff for putting us in a good place to execute it, and we did that today.

 

 

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