The big talk out of New England right now is all about Drake Maye and his, shall we say, “stunning regression.” Both Maye and coach Mike Vrabel already had to face reporters about the situation, but now offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has jumped into the conversation, and his take might just surprise you. McDaniels is pushing back hard on the idea that Maye is having any issues with confidence or even the dreaded “yips.”
McDaniels Says Maye is ‘Blessed’
You might think with a quarterback experiencing such a noticeable dip in performance, confidence would be the first thing to go. Not according to McDaniels. He totally disagrees with the notion that Maye has any confidence issues. “I’ve played golf with him, pickleball with him,” McDaniels stated, adding, “I’ve watched him play football, and I’m not really sure what changes that for him. He’s blessed in that regard, you know?” It’s a bold claim when the player’s play is being called a “stunning regression.”
From Woods to 340-Yard Drives: McDaniels’ Analogy
McDaniels didn’t just stop at a blanket denial. He broke out some analogies to explain Maye’s mindset. He compared it to his own golf game: “When I hit a tee shot in the woods, my confidence is shattered, you know, and then I’m gonna do it again and again and again.” But Maye? McDaniels said, “He doesn’t really do that. He can do that, and then the next one’s down the middle, it’s 340 [yards], and you’re sitting there going, ‘How did that happen?’” He even drew a parallel to a cornerback, saying that a quarterback, like a corner, has to have a “short memory.” If you throw the ball enough, something bad is bound to happen, but you have to move past it. McDaniels did admit, “Yes, there are things that we can do better. Yes, there are things that” can improve, but clearly, he doesn’t think Maye’s head is the problem.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
Leave a Reply