Drake Maye’s first NFL touchdown pass completely summed up why the New England Patriots chosen him with the third total choose on this 12 months’s draft.
With 11 seconds left within the second quarter of Sunday’s recreation vs. the Houston Texans, Maye tossed a 40-yard dime to large receiver Kayshon Boutte ultimately zone. The rookie signal-caller may have settled for a brief cross and a subject purpose, however he elected to point out off his large arm and capitalize on Houston’s questionable defensive playcalling.
.@DrakeMaye2‘s first @NFL TD is to @KayshonBoutte1 🏈
📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/Oi7BpFvq6H
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) October 13, 2024
Former Patriots linebacker Ted Johnson referred to as Maye a “cool buyer” for his presence within the pocket on the massive play. He mentioned the play in-depth throughout Monday’s version of The Breakdown.
“This was an attention-grabbing play name for the Texans, I assumed, and the Patriots and Drake Maye actually took benefit of it,” Johnson stated. “The Texans, they line up in Cowl 1 protection proper right here. 5 rushers, 5 cowl guys, one single excessive security. The attention-grabbing factor is the Patriots line up in journeys proper right here with Ja’Lynn Polk single to the left facet. … The Texans for some motive put their security on this (the left) facet. They in all probability feared that perhaps the ball was gonna go to Ja’Lynn Polk as a result of for a lot of the video games this season, all of the deep throws – most of them – have gone to Ja’Lynn Polk. They in all probability figured that was the goal.
“The opposite factor the Texans did, which was uncommon on this state of affairs, is they’d press protection. They put their cornerbacks up on the Patriots large receivers. In order that tells the quarterback one thing’s up. Possibly it is blitz, man to man. And what he is seeing proper right here is all this house left large open as a result of this security is dishonest over right here to assist out on Ja’Lynn Polk. And that’s one thing the quarterback I am guessing noticed instantly, so that they took benefit of it.”
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Johnson famous that each Maye and Boutte executed the play to perfection. Maye learn the protection and located an open man in Boutte, who beat Texans cornerback Derek Stingley Jr.’s press protection and hauled in an correct throw.
“It is a simple throw, a simple learn when you think about the protection declared early within the play the place he was gonna be,” Johnson added. “Press protection tells the quarterback it is man-to-man or blitz. You will have seven guys to dam 5, and all Kayshon’s gotta do is get by his man and get half a step on him, and he did, and it was a wonderfully thrown ball.
“The attention-grabbing factor was you had DeMario Douglas large open within the center. This defender form of leaves his protection, and so he may have simply taken like a 15-yard, 20-yard acquire. Aggressive mindset with two timeouts, takes a shot for the tip zone, and it really works so that they get seven factors on the board. Hell of a drive for the Patriots contemplating they’ve had points scoring factors and, simply managing their drives proper earlier than halftime.”
Our Patriots Insider Phil Perry got here away impressed by Maye’s determination to take a shot on the finish zone fairly than accept a subject purpose earlier than the half.
“What I really like about this play on the subject of Drake Maye is the aggressiveness,” Perry stated. “They’re sniffing subject purpose vary right here. They may take a shorter throw, arrange Joey Slye for 3 factors. As an alternative, he makes what’s the longest completion for a Patriots quarterback within the final three years on the subject of air yards over 50 yards within the air for that first landing cross for Drake Maye and for Kayshon Boutte.”
Maye and the Patriots fell to the Texans, 41-21. Nonetheless, it was an encouraging first start for the younger QB that impressed some hope for the way forward for the group. He threw three TD passes in complete within the dropping effort.
With Maye below middle, New England will look to snap a five-game dropping skid when it takes on the Jacksonville Jaguars in London subsequent Sunday.
You may watch the complete Drake Maye breakdown within the video beneath or on YouTube:
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