Drake Maye has a clear priority for the Patriots’ trip to Jacksonville: get the offense moving early and keep it moving.
New England returned to the win column against Pittsburgh, but its quarterback enters Week 3 with one touchdown pass and four interceptions through two games. Maye is averaging 193 passing yards per game, leaving considerable room for an offense that needs more consistent production.
“I think starting fast as a football team. Starting fast for myself,” Maye said Wednesday, via Alex Barth of 98.5 The Sports Hub.
The Patriots and Jaguars both enter Sunday at 1-1. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET at EverBank Stadium, with the game airing on CBS.
For Maye, the next step is turning that emphasis into possessions that last beyond a promising opening play.
A Fast Start Has to Survive the First Mistake
New England had an opportunity to establish an early rhythm against Pittsburgh. Its opening possession instead ended with a Rhamondre Stevenson fumble following a completion from Maye, a sequence examined in Patriots.com’s review of the game.
That turnover belonged to Stevenson. The broader problem belongs to the offense: productive snaps lose their value when a possession ends before New England can turn them into points.
Against Jacksonville, the opening script should give Maye several ways to keep a drive alive. A manageable completion on first down can preserve the run-pass choice on second down. A decisive throw underneath can prevent a third-and-long situation from developing.
Those are useful measures of progress because they can be repeated. An early touchdown would help, but the Patriots also need to show they can answer a stalled possession with a composed series on the next drive.
Keep the Big Plays in the Offense
There were encouraging moments in the 20-3 victory over Pittsburgh. Romeo Doubs caught three passes for 96 yards, including a 63-yard gain. TreVeyon Henderson supplied a 39-yard touchdown run and finished with 76 rushing yards on 16 carries.
The challenge is connecting those explosive plays to more dependable offense between them.
Jacksonville presents a useful test of Maye’s patience. In his Week 3 matchup analysis, Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar noted that the Jaguars play zone coverage on more than 76 percent of their coverage snaps and mix several zone structures with pressure.
That makes the picture after the snap important. Maye needs to locate the available space, commit to the throw and retain the willingness to attack deeper when the coverage allows it.
Josh McDaniels can help by moving the launch point and designing throws with clear alternatives. The coaching objective should be to make the first decision easier while giving Maye a downfield option when protection holds.
Jacksonville has allowed 236.5 net passing yards per game, ranking 22nd, according to the teams’ official preview. It has also surrendered only 15 points per game. Available yardage alone will not finish drives for New England.
Protection Adds Another Challenge
The Patriots placed Mike Onwenu on injured reserve Tuesday. Greg Van Roten replaced him at right guard during the Steelers game.
Morgan Moses was also limited in Wednesday’s practice with a foot injury. That participation designation does not establish his availability for Sunday, but it makes the offensive line an area to monitor as the week continues.
With Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker on Jacksonville’s edges, Maye and his protection have to work together. Holding the ball for a deeper route requires confidence that the pocket will remain usable. Getting rid of it quickly requires receivers to reach the right spots on time.
My view is that McDaniels should give Maye an accessible outlet on early passing downs and use extra protection selectively when calling longer-developing routes. That would let the Patriots test Jacksonville downfield without asking an altered line to hold up the same way on every passing play.
Goodwin’s Read
The most convincing response from Maye would be a game built on sound decisions: take an available first down, recognize when a deeper route has time to develop, and protect a possession when neither option is there.
The Pittsburgh win showed that New England can generate enough big plays and defensive support to win while the offense works through problems. Jacksonville is the next chance to make those problems less prominent.
Maye has identified the starting point. Sunday will show whether the Patriots can carry that early rhythm through an entire game.
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