Thursday night offered Drake Maye the first opportunity to display in game action why the New England Patriots used the No. 3 overall selection in April’s draft on him.
But the 21-year-old quarterback didn’t really get a chance showcase his skill set.
The Patriots and first-year head coach Jerod Mayo decided to play Maye for just one series in the first quarter in a 17-3 preseason-opening win over the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium. Maye took just six snaps and completed 2-of-3 passes for 19 yards, so there wasn’t much for the North Carolina product to assess after his pro debut.
“On the field, not a lot happened,” Maye told reporters, per team-provided video. “Threw a screen for a first down, so moved the chains. But I think on the third down, maybe should have tried to move down the field. I think we had some stop routes at the chains that maybe could have (worked) instead of throwing in the flat. But, hey, that’s why we watch film for.”
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Maye, who admitted he had to combat some nerves at the start of the game, felt like his biggest contribution came from being a good teammate on the sideline.
“I think just enjoying the moment is kind of the biggest thing out there,” Maye said. “As a rookie going out in your first preseason game, I felt like I handled the nerves, handled the jitters pretty well. Feel like I cheered on my teammates well. That’s the biggest thing, cheering on the guys. I felt like I was loud on the sideline and engaged. That’s the biggest thing as a rookie coming in there, you want to be engaged.”
After Maye was replaced by Bailey Zappe, the rookie signal-caller kept his head in the game by wearing an ear piece to listen in on plays. He even discussed certain routes with wide receivers as he looked on.
Maye said he didn’t know if he would see more playing time in preseason game No. 2 against the Philadelphia Eagles next Thursday. But an increased workload for Maye wouldn’t come as a surprise.
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“Getting a lot of reps in practice,” Maye said. “It goes to show practice matters and practice translates to the game. So, I think the amount of reps I’m getting in practice is great for me, and I’m just trying to take all the reps that I can get, that I am getting and make the most of them. I think more preseason (games) I’ll be out there some more, so looking forward to that.”
