Drake Maye, the guy who lit up the league as an MVP candidate last year, has been looking like a shadow of his 2025 self through the first three weeks of this season. It’s been a wild ride for Patriots fans watching their quarterback, who showed so much promise in his rookie year, suddenly taking major steps back in key areas.
What’s Up With Maye’s Game?
Back in 2025, Maye was all about that arm talent, athleticism, and pure instinct. He was making massive strides in his fundamentals, getting comfortable climbing the pocket, and keeping his eyes downfield even when scrambling. Yeah, fumbles and down-to-down consistency were still a work in progress, but under HC Mike Vrabel and OC Josh McDaniels, with a proven system and an upgraded supporting cast, his potential was just electric. Then came the first three weeks of this season. Ball security? Footwork? Understanding when to take those risky chances? All of it took a hit. People were genuinely asking if this was the same guy. He was still making more positive plays than negative, sure, but the bad stuff was just inexcusable, constantly putting the team in rough spots.
The good news? Week 4 gave everyone a glimpse of that 2025 Maye again. He was making crucial plays with his legs and dropping accurate, well-timed throws downfield. He didn’t exactly fix his turnover problem completely, but it was a step in the right direction. The hope is he can keep that momentum rolling, but he’s gotta prove it on the field, especially with the Raiders coming to town.
The O-Line’s Shaky Protection
It’s not just Maye, though. The offensive line has been surrendering pressure at a pretty high rate this season, even if they’ve mostly done a solid job keeping Maye upright. There’s a learning curve happening with LT Will Campbell, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, and C Jared Wilson as they figure out how to work together against stunts. Vera-Tucker and Wilson? They’ve been impressive overall, which is a relief.
But here’s the kicker: Will Campbell. He’s been quietly struggling against the league’s top-notch edge rushers one-on-one this year. We saw it plain as day last week when he was left on an island against Greg Rousseau, and it didn’t look good. Add in the fact that RG Mike Onwenu, arguably the team’s best offensive lineman, went down, and suddenly that left side looks even more vulnerable. You know the Raiders are going to be leaning heavily on stunts, simulated pressures, and creeper blitzes, especially after seeing this tape. If I’m the Raiders, I’m absolutely unleashing Maxx Crosby on Campbell on those money downs and obvious passing situations. It’s a clear mismatch the Patriots are going to have to scheme around.
The Raiders are looking to bounce back themselves and stay firmly in the AFC Playoff conversation this Week 5 matchup. Maye’s trending up, but that O-line and Campbell’s performance against top pass rushers are going to be under a microscope. It’s going to be a battle, and those trenches will decide a whole lot.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
Leave a Reply