Plus, was starting him the right call?
While the New England Patriots lost their fifth straight game on Sunday, the game also marked the start of a new era in New England. The team’s first pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, quarterback Drake Maye, got his first start.
Maye’s first opponent? The Houston Texans, a team with Super Bowl aspirations and a top five passing defense. With Will Anderson and Danielle Hunter on the front end and Derek Stingley on the back end, no passer had more than 200 yards through the first five weeks of the season against this group.
Drake Maye changed that.
Completing 20 of his 33 attempts, Maye passed for 243 yards. Three of those completions went for touchdowns, including a 40-yarder to Kayshon Boutte before the half for his first in the NFL. Two more went to the Texans, with an early overthrow finding safety Calen Bullock and a deflected screen pass landing in the arms of Eric Murray. A strip sack by Danielle Hunter added to Maye’s sum of turnovers for the afternoon.
The offense’s 21 points scored were the most in a game this season, and Maye’s 209 net passing yards were the most by a New England quarterback since Christmas Eve last year.
Last week, we asked if it was the right decision to start Drake Maye against the Texans. With the game complete, we’re asking again to see if his performance changed your mind. We’d also like you to grade his first game as well. This week’s edition of Pats Pulpit Reacts also includes our weekly confidence tracking poll.
Please sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys. Also make sure to check out FanDuel, the official sportsbook partner of SB Nation.