Patriots QB Drake Maye Postgame Transcript 9/9

QB DRAKE MAYE

How would you describe what happened in the second half?

DRAKE MAYE: Yeah, we had the game under control. Thought we had a good plan to start chipping away and be patient and lost patience and it cost us, decisions that cost us the game on my part, on my end. I vow to myself to be better and realize it’s a long season but at same time we can’t have those. We can’t have those. It’s unacceptable and I know we got to get back to work. That wasn’t how I play football and how I want to represent my game and playing quarterback for the Patriots.

On the final play on the final pass, were you trying to play the ball away there?

DRAKE MAYE: It was something where we had a certain protection on. We were cutting and was trying to get rid of it and realized Mack (Hollins) was back there in the back and didn’t put enough on it to get it out and it was just unacceptable. We had a chance to send it (to) overtime at the worst. The only thing you could do is turn the ball over and that’s what I did.

Drake, those three picks looked like you were trying real hard to make a play. Was maybe something forced? Do you feel like you forced it?

DRAKE MAYE: Definitely. I just stopped being patient. That was the big thing. We were really good up to the point where I tried to force one down the sideline to Romeo (Doubs). We were patient and dumping it off and trying to move the chains and we avoided a lot of three-and-outs and that was something we try to earn more plays and the explosives will come, so just stopped being patient and made decisions that ended up, like I said, cost us the game.

Drake, did you see something change with A.J. (Brown) there?

DRAKE MAYE: Obviously, a great player. A.J. (Brown), any time the presence in the huddle and the presence that he carries out there, I threw one low to him and should have hit him in the chest, so I got to make a better play and make a better throw for him.

Drake, there were a few passes, the last interception, the throw the A.J., the flea flicker where maybe you didn’t get enough air on some of the balls. Was there any sort of reason for that?

DRAKE MAYE: Yeah, the one to A.J., he’s wide open. I didn’t want to try to overthrow it on the flea flicker. I think other than that, ball placement is key in this league and trying to make sure I put it in the right spot and I didn’t.

Drake, everyone’s asked about the environment here and how loud it gets. Do you think that factored at all?

DRAKE MAYE: I feel like we did a really good job on the communication. I think the penalties added up a little bit in the second half but from there, I thought we really did a good job on the silent count on the road, those guys up front blocked their butts off. They really battled hard and they were in it until the last play. Like I said, I’m proud of those guys up front, and I know we’ve got some good football ahead of us.

Asking about Mack as well, when A.J. went down, it seems like Mack really stepped up and made some plays. What was it like to see him make those plays?

DRAKE MAYE: That’s what he does. That’s Mack Hollins’ career, stepping up and being in the right spot and knowing what to do and making big plays. Fourth down (there) was a big play he made. I know these guys are eager to get touches and eager to help this team win. I’ve got to do my part and I’m the leader and I need to bounce back and get ready to go for next week.

Mike (Vrabel) talked a lot about handling adversity. Have you looked to the group to respond to this early adversity?

DRAKE MAYE: You’ve got to stick together and that starts with me getting back to work and having the right intention in practice. These guys are here for me. I think they’ve done a great job in supporting me and have had my back. I’ve got to earn their trust. I know I have their trust, but I got to keep on putting better football out there. I think it’s Week 1 but at the same time, there’s a full season ahead but you got to get this going early. We got to start off on the right foot. I know what we had last year, but we got a new season, a new team, and we need to build that.

Are there things you felt you did better when it came to some of those Devon Witherspoon blitzes, relative to the Super Bowl, especially from a pre-snap process?

DRAKE MAYE: You get a better sense for it. They got us in one of the first third downs. From there, I felt like we tried to have a good plan. They’re good coaches over there, good players, they had some things where they had some blitzers and we were hot a few times. On the road, it’s hard to get in and out of plays that you can get into. There’s just plays out there where I can think of some where whether it’s a run look or getting out of a run look that put us behind the chains. It’s bad football.

Drake, have you had a chance to see A.J. and if you have, how’s his spirits and what were your thoughts?

DRAKE MAYE: I haven’t had a chance to see him. I know he’s dealing with what he’s dealing with. For A.J. (Brown), he’s going to fight hard to get back and whatever it is, I know he’s going to want to get back out there quick. I think he’s a competitor and he’s going to help this football team for a lot of this year. I’m looking forward to getting to see him and checking out how he’s doing. Thanks.