First TD pass breaks down Maye’s ‘aggressive’ playmaking Originally aired on NBC Sports Boston
Drake Maye’s first NFL touchdown pass perfectly summed up why the New England Patriots selected him with the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s draft.
With 11 seconds left in the second quarter of Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans, Maye threw a 40-yard dime to wide receiver Kayshon Boots in the end zone. The rookie signalman could have settled for a short pass and field goal, but opted to show off his big arm and take advantage of Houston’s questionable defensive play-calling.
Former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson called Maye a “cool customer” who gets into the pocket on big plays. He discussed the play thoroughly on Monday’s The Breakdown.
“I think this was an interesting play call for the Texans, and the Patriots and Drake Maye took advantage of it,” Johnson said. “The Texans, they’re lined up in Cover 1 coverage here. They’ve got five rushers, five cover men, one high safety. What’s interesting is the Patriots lined up here in trip, Jaylin Polk singles to the left side…I think the Texans were worried that for some reason they had a safety on this (left) side and maybe the ball was going to Jaylin Polk. Because in most games this season, most of them were deep throws – went to Jaylin Polk. They probably thought that was the target.
“The other thing the Texans did, which was unusual in this situation, was they got press coverage. They put their cornerbacks on top of the Patriots’ wide receivers. So it gave the quarterback something to do. It’s probably a man-to-man blitz. And what he’s seeing is this space is left wide open. I think it’s because they’re cheating here to help Polk, and the quarterback noticed that right away and they took advantage of it. ”
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Mr. Johnson noted that both Mr. May and Mr. Boot executed the play to perfection. Maye read the coverage and found the open man in Boutte, who beat Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.’s press coverage and made an accurate throw.
“It’s easy to throw to, it’s easy to read, considering his spot is declared safe early in the play,” Johnson added. “Reports say quarterbacks are man-to-man or blitzing. It takes seven to block five, but all Kayshon has to do is take a half step past his man, and he did that.” , and it was a perfect “ball thrown.”
“What’s interesting is that Demario Douglas was wide open in the middle, and this defender was kind of coming out of coverage, so he could have gotten a 15- or 20-yard gain. Two timeouts. It paid off in the end zone, and it was a great drive considering the Patriots were having trouble scoring and they were able to control the drive just before halftime. ”
Patriots insider Phil Perry came away impressed with Maye’s decision to shoot in the end zone rather than make a field goal before the half.
“What I like about this play about Drake Maye is his aggressiveness,” Perry said. “They’re sniffing out field goal range here. They could hit shorter throws and set up Joey Sly for 3-pointers. Instead, when it comes to air yards over, he’s a good bet for the Patriots. His first touchdown pass to Drake Maye and Kayshon Boot was 50 yards in the air. ”
Maye and the Patriots lost to the Texans 41-21. Still, it was an encouraging first start for the young QB that gives him hope for the organization’s future. In the losing game, he threw a total of three TD passes.
With Maye under center, New England hopes to snap a five-game losing streak when they take on the Jacksonville Jaguars next Sunday in London.
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