It’s an extremely lethal combination – Drake Maye’s happy feet and opponents cranking up the heat on the third-year quarterback. Fortunately, the New England Patriots survived it on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 20-3 victory.
According to Pro Football Focus, through the first two weeks, Maye has faced the fourth-most pressure in the league.
And he has not handled it well.
Ugly numbers for sure
The Patriots QB, who posted a 75.6 rating in Sunday’s win, has earned just a 26.8 PFF grade under pressure.
To contrast that, Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who is No. 1 on the list, and Miami’s Malik Willis, each have earned grades of 50.
The Patriots certainly know they have a pressure problem.
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“We have to do a better job and continue to do a good job of helping our quarterback be efficient, and he has a large part in that,” said head coach Mike Vrabel. “But we know that that’s the formula.”
Expect more pressure
Opponents know it, too. Steelers’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham blitzed Cooper Rush and the Atlanta Falcons less than 10 percent of the time in Week 1. This week, he blitzed Maye and Co. over 50 percent of the time.
Maye’s issues with pocket presence, especially under pressure, will continue to be a point of concern and emphasis.
“I think that there’s a balance. I think you have to be able to keep your eyes down the field,” said Vrabel.
“I think you have to be able to slide, move in the pocket and transfer, and I think it also comes down to blocking better more consistently, so that there’s a confidence, a trust and that everybody knows that the other guy is doing his job to make the play work.”
Picks piling up fast
Maye’s woes continue to show up on the stat sheet.
He now has thrown four interceptions in two games, eight in his last six performances.
“They did some things on third downs to try to heat us up. So, I have got to have answers,” said Maye.
“I have got to get the ball out and realize that extending drives and doing things the right way, and taking what they give me, but at the same time being aggressive.”
Throwing 31 touchdown passes in the 2025 regular season, Maye had a total of eight interceptions in 17 games.
