Post Game Press Conference – Patriots QB Drake Maye
PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
POSTGAME PRESS CONFERENCE
October 13, 2024
Q: Drake, just kind of take us through your day from start to finish. You certainly had a lot going on, and how much did that first 40-yard touchdown kind of settle you down and get you going into your day?
DM: Yeah, yeah, I think we just hurt ourselves today. I think that’s the biggest thing. I think we put the defense in bad spots, and with how good our defense is, that’s the last thing we can do. We can’t – when the ball is in the red zone, giving the other team the ball in the red zone just makes it hard on them. It starts with me, and I feel like I wish I could have some throws back, and especially the first interception. But yeah, after the touchdown, felt like kind of we were back in it. Coming out of halftime, there goes another turnover in the red zone. Just kept on hurting ourselves, and in this league, these teams are too good to do that. But some great stuff to watch on film. Sometimes out there, it was a lot of fun on offense. That’s what I told the guys in the huddle at the end, we got the guys in the huddle, we’ve just got to make a few more plays and play complementary football. That’s what Coach Mayo will just preach, play complementary football, and we didn’t do that today.
Q: As the game went on, did you feel it kind of slow down for you in the pocket and making decisions?
DM: Yeah, you know, I was a little amped at the start for sure. I think the biggest thing is having those guys around me. They were great, pumping me up, coaches, defense. The guys around me were great trying to settle me down, and Jacoby [Brissett] was a big part of that, slowed me down on the sideline pregame. Once we got that first drive, it was three-and-out, and I could have probably checked it down on the under. But we’ve got some stuff to look back and learn from, but I also feel like we did some good things.
Q: You mentioned the interception, the first one. What sort of happened there? Take us through –
DM: Yeah. Pretty simple. Pop [DeMario Douglas] over the middle and hit him a few other times, and that last one where he scored, I hit him in stride. Just got to make better throws. I missed a little high, and you can’t miss high over the middle in this league. That’s what they always say; you can’t miss high over the middle, and tipped balls on the second one turned into interceptions.
Q: Jerod Mayo just called it an encouraging performance on offense. A lot of that came in the second half. What went better for you guys in the second half than the first half?
DM: Yeah, we, AVP [Alex Van Pelt] preaches fast starts, and I wouldn’t say it’s very pleasing when you start off with a turnover in the red zone to start the second half and start out with a three-and-out in the first drive. Little things like that that we’re emphasizing on offense, and we just haven’t been able to execute. I think the things that have come back are what we’re emphasizing, and that starts with me. We need to execute. Kind of got going there a little bit, made some throws that the guys made some plays, and like I said, we got those guys that can make plays, and the O-line is up there battling their butt off and getting injured, coming back and always checking on me. Those guys fought their butts off tonight.
Q: Even Jerod Mayo was saying when he was up here that you took some big hits. First full 60 minutes from you in the NFL as a quarterback. How are you feeling physically after the physicality of today’s game?
DM: The Houston Texans are a good football team. They’ve got good defense. They’ve got some good guys on the edge and up front, good guys on the back end. It was a good test for us. Like I said, I think right there a couple times in the game it felt like we were crawling back, and really just offensively put the defense in a bad spot. I feel all right. I think you’re playing quarterback in the NFL, you’re going to be sore the next day. That’s part of it. Probably can do a better job of getting down or throwing it away. I think I took a couple sacks today where I could have thrown it away or thrown check-downs instead of getting a sack.
Q: You mentioned you were amped at the beginning before settling down. What was the sideline like when you were coming back? What were some of the conversations you were having, and how was Jacoby Brissett helping during that time, if at all?
DM: Yeah, he was saying, “we’re good, we’re good.” They went down there, they scored on the first possession, so it puts a little pressure on you. I think it’s always a little pressure when they score first and make it 7-0. So just settled down and trusted the guys around me, and we’ve got to be able to run the football a little bit, too. I think we preach that. Running the football in this league is how you get open. Getting in third and long – we were in third and long too much today, and that starts with me making better throws and decisions on first and second down.
Q: Wednesday you mentioned this was a dream for you to get your first NFL start. What was this like from that perspective, and also, how do you self-evaluate overall as to how today went compared to what you wanted to achieve?
DM: Yeah, shout-out to the fans. I thought they were great. It gave me goosebumps running out there for the first time. They stayed basically almost the whole way through cheering, and it was pretty sweet to be out there in the reds. Like I said, we didn’t come out with the win, and that’s kind of the goal, especially in your first start. Coming out with a win, that would be something pretty special. Got to be able to watch the tape and learn from it and bounce back. We’ve got a long flight, so get ready for playing overseas.
Q: Along those lines, there’s no denying this is one of the biggest days in your life. That’s a fact. It’s also a fact that your team lost convincingly. What are those emotions like? You’re going to be getting texts from friends, family who don’t take the loss into account. What’s going on right now in terms of the conflicting emotions?
DM: Yeah, I think first and foremost just blessed. I thank the good Lord. I’m in a great spot with the Patriots here and playing quarterback in the NFL. Most of my friends and family after a loss, they’ll still worry more about the loss than kind of encouraging plays. That’s kind of the people I’m around. We care about winning. Just hate losing. That’s the big thing. I think there’s some good things to take away from it today, and I think back with Coach Mayo, we’ve got to play complementary football, and we haven’t done that.
Q: Can you describe your mindset during the two-minute drill before halftime? Looked like you were able to try to fit some passes into some tight windows there. Did that maybe help you settle in a little bit?
DM: Yeah, I think the two-minute time is a great time for a quarterback to kind of get some passes and get some plays that we’re comfortable with under my belt. It was a lot easier in two-minute than in practice when the guys actually come back there and tackle me in the back. Able to make some plays. [Kayshon] Boutte made a great play, and those guys – I think Pop [DeMario Douglas] down the sideline, that’s a great play on his part, and just get the guys the ball, and that’s the biggest thing I’ve got to do. I think get them the ball and let them make plays. You saw Hunter [Henry] on a flat route early on. We’re backed up, make a guy miss, get a first down, little things like that, try to get the ball out of my hands and get it to those guys. I make a lot of money getting paid to get first downs.
Q: Could you just walk us through your 40-yard touchdown pass to Ja’Lynn Polk and doing it in a game as opposed to a practice? How much did that help your confidence today?
DM: You mean to Boutte?
Q: I’m sorry. Yeah, to Boutte.
DM: You’re good. I think pressed up. I think we’ve got to give guys – give him a chance. That was kind of my thought process; give him a chance. I thought kind of the Texans was kind of squatting us a little bit. They came out and challenged us and played in man so tried to let one ride and give Boutte a chance. He made a nice play, and it was pretty cool. I think both of our first touchdowns, so pretty cool moment. I felt like in this group we can push the ball down the field and make plays in the passing game, so we’ve just got to keep repping it and see what you like and I’ve got to make the throws, that’s the bottom line. Make better throws.
Transcripts are provided by the Patriots media relations department as a courtesy to the media and are edited for readability. All press conferences are posted and archived in their entirety on patriots.com. The duplication or posting of this transcript in its entirety as original content is prohibited. Media are encouraged to link to the complete transcript on patriots.com when sharing full quotes with their audiences.