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Curran: With Maye, Pats ‘an ascending team’ despite fifth straight loss originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots were blown out on their home field by the Houston Texans on Sunday, but the 41-21 final score doesn’t tell the whole story. Drake Maye left many feeling encouraged after his first NFL start.
The rookie quarterback recorded three touchdowns in the Week 6 matchup, including a beautiful 40-yard dime to Kayshon Boutte for his first career TD pass. His 243 passing yards marked the most by a Patriots QB since Mac Jones’ 268-yard performance in Week 7 of last season vs. Buffalo.
Maye also showcased his athleticism with a team-high 38 rushing yards on five carries. While he experienced some growing pains with two interceptions and four sacks (including a strip-sack), the third-overall pick showed enough upside to bring much-needed optimism to New England despite the team’s fifth straight loss.
NBC Sports Boston’s Patriots insider Tom E. Curran shared his positive takeaway from Maye’s performance on Postgame Live.
“Can you be an ascending team after losing your fifth straight game, this one by 20 points?” Curran asked. “Because I think the Patriots could be an ascending team right now, at least in watchability. I couldn’t have ordered up another 13-6 loss watching the same movie.
“Drake Maye exceeded expectations in a number of ways. I kind of thought that he would play better than people anticipated. He played even better than I thought he would.
“Now, am I saying that he played perfectly? Absolutely not. But I think a lot of his mistakes were byproducts of the protection around him and youthfulness. But I will point this out: He carried the ball five times for 38 yards. The Patriots as a team carried it for 44 yards the entire day between their other three running backs. You showed great toughness, you took a hell of a hit on that strip-sack. Next series, he was out there playing again. There’s a lot to like about what Drake Maye did…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/curran-maye-pats-ascending-team-205949663.html
Author : NBC Sports Boston
Publish date : 2024-10-14 00:51:19
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