The New England Patriots left their 20-3 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers with more evidence that quarterback Drake Maye can make the rare throws. They also left with the same issue that could define their season: Too many snaps in which the decisive play arrives a beat late. Locked On Patriots host Nick Cattles called Maye’s film a roller coaster, with the quarterback’s high-end talent offset by missed opportunities created by delayed anticipation and uneven pocket management.
Maye’s 63-yard completion to wide receiver Romeo Doubs supplied the strongest rebuttal to any concern about arm strength. Cattles noted that Maye escaped pressure, rolled right, and delivered the ball roughly 50 air yards while throwing off one foot. The Patriots do not need to restrain that aggressiveness; they need Maye to marry it to quicker processing and steadier mechanics.
Cattles’ central criticism came on plays where the throw was available before Maye pulled the trigger. He pointed to a third-and-6 opportunity for wide receiver DeMario Douglas and a seam route by tight end Eli Raridon that could have produced a touchdown had Maye waited briefly instead of taking a checkdown to running back Rhamondre Stevenson. Neither decision automatically makes for a disastrous snap, but those are the chances an offense must convert when it faces tighter games and stronger opponents.
The pocket examples were more costly. Cattles said Maye drifted toward T. J. Watt rather than stepping up on one second-quarter sack, taking away both an open Doubs crossing route and a sizable running lane. He also flagged Maye’s footwork on an interception to Patrick Queen. Those are correctable issues, but they place a premium on the Patriots’ coaching as offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels works to turn Maye’s flashes into repeatable quarterbacking.
The encouraging film still matters
Cattles praised Maye for staying composed when a route concept left Douglas, Doubs, and tight end Hunter Henry compressed in the middle of the field, then finding Henry for a gain rather than forcing a mistake. Maye also made several plays while hanging in against Pittsburgh’s pressure. New England’s ceiling rises with those moments; its margin for error shrinks when the quarterback passes up the more profitable answer.
The immediate test comes Sunday, September 27, when the Patriots visit the Jacksonville Jaguars. The schedule gives Maye another chance to show that he can be aggressive without becoming impatient, and patient without throwing too late.
Maye does not need a reinvention after two games. The Patriots need more of the pocket poise and downfield confidence he showed against Pittsburgh, with fewer throws that require confirmation after the window has already started to close.
Patriots News and Notes
– Right guard Mike Onwenu (ankle) will not be available in the short term, according to coach Mike Vrabel. Cattles’ concern is that offensive lineman Greg Van Roten must improve after a difficult relief appearance, because the Patriots are losing a primary interior starter while preparing for Jacksonville.
– Outside linebackers Elijah Ponder and Gabe Jacas gave the defense a needed boost against Pittsburgh, Cattles said. He credited Ponder’s edge-setting run defense alongside his sack and scoop-and-score, while Jacas’ assignment discipline stood out after an uneven preseason. Their development carries extra weight with Harold Landry III on reserve/PUP and Dre’Mont Jones working through an injury issue.
