Greg Bedard assessments: Texans game, Drake Maye performance

[Ring 6]

Without benefit of an itemization and studying the all-22, that would be hard to say.



Again, the grade was strictly for production at the position, not Maye perhaps exceeding expectations of a rookie in his first start.

He breaks it down, here are examples.

1-10-NE 30 (14:30) D.Maye scrambles up the middle to NE 41 for 11 yards (E.Murray).

Decsion - There was zero pressure on this play but Maye bailed too quickly. Hunter Henry was coming open against Jalen Pitre (he did the same thing on Pop Douglas three times) but Maye didn't give it a chance. He needs to throw this.

1-10-NE 41 (13:53) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short middle.
PENALTY on NE-V.Lowe, Ineligible Downfield Pass, 5 yards, enforced at NE 41 - No Play.

Penalty - This is a called screen dependent on timing. Maye can't hold the ball here. If the screen is not there, turf it earlier or throw it away. That's on Maye. Boutte was wide open in the middle of the field, but Maye has to throw the screen.

1-15-NE 36 (13:48) (Shotgun) D.Maye scrambles left end pushed ob at NE 40 for 4 yards (E.Murray).

Decsion/hurry - Would have liked to see Hooper sit in the zone, but he's open and Maye needs to put it on him or quickly to Henry to the left. This pressure is not on Vederian Lowe, it's on Maye.

 

[PatsFan2]

He breaks it down, here are examples.

1-10-NE 30 (14:30) D.Maye scrambles up the middle to NE 41 for 11 yards (E.Murray).

Decsion - There was zero pressure on this play but Maye bailed too quickly. Hunter Henry was coming open against Jalen Pitre (he did the same thing on Pop Douglas three times) but Maye didn't give it a chance. He needs to throw this.

1-10-NE 41 (13:53) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short middle.
PENALTY on NE-V.Lowe, Ineligible Downfield Pass, 5 yards, enforced at NE 41 - No Play.

Penalty - This is a called screen dependent on timing. Maye can't hold the ball here. If the screen is not there, turf it earlier or throw it away. That's on Maye. Boutte was wide open in the middle of the field, but Maye has to throw the screen.

1-15-NE 36 (13:48) (Shotgun) D.Maye scrambles left end pushed ob at NE 40 for 4 yards (E.Murray).

Decsion/hurry - Would have liked to see Hooper sit in the zone, but he's open and Maye needs to put it on him or quickly to Henry to the left. This pressure is not on Vederian Lowe, it's on Maye.

So he left some plays on the Field that will get better with more playing time. So K Boutte could have had even a Bigger day nice.

 

[Ross12]

I am a little more concerned that they rushed him out there though based on what Bedard said, but not concerned he will regress or develop/maintain bad habits yet.

Didn't Bedard say he should've been the starter week 1 in these clips?

 

[KCSVEN]

He breaks it down, here are examples.

1-10-NE 30 (14:30) D.Maye scrambles up the middle to NE 41 for 11 yards (E.Murray).

Decsion - There was zero pressure on this play but Maye bailed too quickly. Hunter Henry was coming open against Jalen Pitre (he did the same thing on Pop Douglas three times) but Maye didn't give it a chance. He needs to throw this.

1-10-NE 41 (13:53) (Shotgun) D.Maye pass incomplete short middle.
PENALTY on NE-V.Lowe, Ineligible Downfield Pass, 5 yards, enforced at NE 41 - No Play.

Penalty - This is a called screen dependent on timing. Maye can't hold the ball here. If the screen is not there, turf it earlier or throw it away. That's on Maye. Boutte was wide open in the middle of the field, but Maye has to throw the screen.

1-15-NE 36 (13:48) (Shotgun) D.Maye scrambles left end pushed ob at NE 40 for 4 yards (E.Murray).

Decsion/hurry - Would have liked to see Hooper sit in the zone, but he's open and Maye needs to put it on him or quickly to Henry to the left. This pressure is not on Vederian Lowe, it's on Maye.

Bedard doesn't understand how Maye is reading the defense. He's going to run when the rushers leave him a huge window, when he sees the opening he goes, well before Henry makes his cut and before he is open. Yeah, a non-running QB has to stand in there and wait. I don't see an 11 yard run and a first down being a negative play. He had 2 choices, make the run to a large middle opening or wait until Henry cuts and see if he is open. If the CB goes inside and he's not open its too late to run because the defensive player spying is now in the pocket. Taking a free 10 yards or waiting to make a throw for 15. He had 2 good choices and chose one, maybe the other option was better but it's not a negative play. He did not bail early; he saw a running lane and went.

On the screen, took a while for Henry to escape, It looks like Maye might be able to run around the edge to the side the screen was setup and then Jacobs was ready to let his guy go(91) and he cut Maye off and Maye had to throw it in the ground. If that guy was held up a second longer Maye is basically running the screen play with blockers. and has positive yardage. If he had reset to throw that to someone else he has an argument, but he's looking to be a playmaker and make a play off a dead play call. Resulted in 5 yard penalty but you need to read the play and intent, was actually an incredibly heady off-script idea if 91 did not get free.

Last Play: This image is when he wants Maye to throw it, mind you Hooper is going toward the defender that is also jumping the route Also Hooper just cleared the zone guy at the bottom of the screen, if Maye had thrown sooner, he was watching Maye, he would have gone toward Hooper and picked it. Hooper does not sit AT ALL, and runs right behind the coverage, by that time the pressure from Lowes guy is there. I ran this at half speed, and you can see Maye was going to throw that and saw the defender jumping it, he knew Hooper was not sitting down, if he did, he might have thrown it. If you run it at full speed there is no way Maye should throw that, he either gets Hooper decapitated, has to throw behind him or gets picked. IN addition, the play is designed for Maye to look right and draw the LB and then back to Hooper, the LB does not buy it, so his tell is the LB, who does the right thing which also leads Maye to pass up that read. This one Bedard he is just 100% wrong on.

 

[Rob0729]

Didn't Bedard say he should've been the starter week 1 in these clips?

He is saying he has seen no progress in Maye and he is still the same guy from NC. So he feels that they have done nothing to develop him sitting on the bench and if that is the case, they might as well have started him day one. He claims he sees no change in his footwork, mechanics, ability to see the field, decision making, etc.


Bedard isn't advocating that he thought Maye was ready to start day one. He is stating that the coaching staff wasted their opportunities to develop him while he was sitting.

 

[PatsFan2]

Bedard doesn't understand how Maye is reading the defense. He's going to run when the rushers leave him a huge window, when he sees the opening he goes, well before Henry makes his cut and before he is open. Yeah, a non-running QB has to stand in there and wait. I don't see an 11 yard run and a first down being a negative play. He had 2 choices, make the run to a large middle opening or wait until Henry cuts and see if he is open. If the CB goes inside and he's not open its too late to run because the defensive player spying is now in the pocket. Taking a free 10 yards or waiting to make a throw for 15. He had 2 good choices and chose one, maybe the other option was better but it's not a negative play. He did not bail early; he saw a running lane and went.

On the screen, took a while for Henry to escape, It looks like Maye might be able to run around the edge to the side the screen was setup and then Jacobs was ready to let his guy go(91) and he cut Maye off and Maye had to throw it in the ground. If that guy was held up a second longer Maye is basically running the screen play with blockers. and has positive yardage. If he had reset to throw that to someone else he has an argument, but he's looking to be a playmaker and make a play off a dead play call. Resulted in 5 yard penalty but you need to read the play and intent, was actually an incredibly heady off-script idea if 91 did not get free.

Last Play: This image is when he wants Maye to throw it, mind you Hooper is going toward the defender that is also jumping the route Also Hooper just cleared the zone guy at the bottom of the screen, if Maye had thrown sooner, he was watching Maye, he would have gone toward Hooper and picked it. Hooper does not sit AT ALL, and runs right behind the coverage, by that time the pressure from Lowes guy is there. I ran this at half speed, and you can see Maye was going to throw that and saw the defender jumping it, he knew Hooper was not sitting down, if he did, he might have thrown it. If you run it at full speed there is no way Maye should throw that, he either gets Hooper decapitated, has to throw behind him or gets picked. IN addition, the play is designed for Maye to look right and draw the LB and then back to Hooper, the LB does not buy it, so his tell is the LB, who does the right thing which also leads Maye to pass up that read. This one Bedard he is just 100% wrong on.

You are becoming my favorite Poster here so spot on Bedard who??

 

[PatsFan2]

Bedard doesn't understand how Maye is reading the defense. He's going to run when the rushers leave him a huge window, when he sees the opening he goes, well before Henry makes his cut and before he is open. Yeah, a non-running QB has to stand in there and wait. I don't see an 11 yard run and a first down being a negative play. He had 2 choices, make the run to a large middle opening or wait until Henry cuts and see if he is open. If the CB goes inside and he's not open its too late to run because the defensive player spying is now in the pocket. Taking a free 10 yards or waiting to make a throw for 15. He had 2 good choices and chose one, maybe the other option was better but it's not a negative play. He did not bail early; he saw a running lane and went.

On the screen, took a while for Henry to escape, It looks like Maye might be able to run around the edge to the side the screen was setup and then Jacobs was ready to let his guy go(91) and he cut Maye off and Maye had to throw it in the ground. If that guy was held up a second longer Maye is basically running the screen play with blockers. and has positive yardage. If he had reset to throw that to someone else he has an argument, but he's looking to be a playmaker and make a play off a dead play call. Resulted in 5 yard penalty but you need to read the play and intent, was actually an incredibly heady off-script idea if 91 did not get free.

Last Play: This image is when he wants Maye to throw it, mind you Hooper is going toward the defender that is also jumping the route Also Hooper just cleared the zone guy at the bottom of the screen, if Maye had thrown sooner, he was watching Maye, he would have gone toward Hooper and picked it. Hooper does not sit AT ALL, and runs right behind the coverage, by that time the pressure from Lowes guy is there. I ran this at half speed, and you can see Maye was going to throw that and saw the defender jumping it, he knew Hooper was not sitting down, if he did, he might have thrown it. If you run it at full speed there is no way Maye should throw that, he either gets Hooper decapitated, has to throw behind him or gets picked. IN addition, the play is designed for Maye to look right and draw the LB and then back to Hooper, the LB does not buy it, so his tell is the LB, who does the right thing which also leads Maye to pass up that read. This one Bedard he is just 100% wrong on.

What Bedard doesn't understand is that we don't have a Traditional Brady/Bledsoe Pocket passer anymore. We have RPO Drake Maye in the mold of Josh Allen a Guy who can Run and Throw. I can't wait until Drake hit those Broken plays to WR's when he slips containment.

 

[KCSVEN]

What Bedard doesn't understand is that we don't have a Traditional Brady/Bledsoe Pocket passer anymore. We have RPO Drake Maye in the mold of Josh Allen a Guy who can Run and Throw. I can't wait until Drake hit those Broken plays to WR's when he slips containment.

It is no coincidence it is man to man on the 11-yard run, cb's with their back to the QB. Maye looks for that, Houston could not settle on man or zone because he ran on man and he was finding holes in the zones.

The way teams played Maye and had some success at UNC: 3-4 rushers and 7-8 in zone. takes away the running somewhat due to players facing the QB. floods the field with pass defenders, if a 3 or 4 man rush gets home, you win. UNC had no good receivers, not any that were zone beaters and a bad line. I think Boutte and Henry have shown a good skill in that zone busting area.
If I was playing Maye and this offensive line, my strategy to start would be as follow: don't blitz like Texans did (they got killed every blitz), rush 3 and 4 only, someone will win against this line and challenge the receivers can find the holes in the zone before the line loses. I'd do the same thing against Daniels.

 

[Jim Beankie]

That's why I said he has to avoid those situations in the future, I'd have to watch it again, but I thought it was more on the Oline.

If it were coming from the blind side, I'd say it wasn't on him, but it was right in front of him.

 

[PatsFan2]

It is no coincidence it is man to man on the 11-yard run, cb's with their back to the QB. Maye looks for that, Houston could not settle on man or zone because he ran on man and he was finding holes in the zones.

The way teams played Maye and had some success at UNC: 3-4 rushers and 7-8 in zone. takes away the running somewhat due to players facing the QB. floods the field with pass defenders, if a 3 or 4 man rush gets home, you win. UNC had no good receivers, not any that were zone beaters and a bad line. I think Boutte and Henry have shown a good skill in that zone busting area.
If I was playing Maye and this offensive line, my strategy to start would be as follow: don't blitz like Texans did (they got killed every blitz), rush 3 and 4 only, someone will win against this line and challenge the receivers can find the holes in the zone before the line loses. I'd do the same thing against Daniels.

I know one guy is happy Maye is starting and that's Pop Douglas he's a walking First Down. Don't be surprise he puts up 200 receiving yards one of these weeks those 92yds is not a aberration.

 

[PatsFan2]

It is no coincidence it is man to man on the 11-yard run, cb's with their back to the QB. Maye looks for that, Houston could not settle on man or zone because he ran on man and he was finding holes in the zones.

The way teams played Maye and had some success at UNC: 3-4 rushers and 7-8 in zone. takes away the running somewhat due to players facing the QB. floods the field with pass defenders, if a 3 or 4 man rush gets home, you win. UNC had no good receivers, not any that were zone beaters and a bad line. I think Boutte and Henry have shown a good skill in that zone busting area.
If I was playing Maye and this offensive line, my strategy to start would be as follow: don't blitz like Texans did (they got killed every blitz), rush 3 and 4 only, someone will win against this line and challenge the receivers can find the holes in the zone before the line loses. I'd do the same thing against Daniels.

Not to get off topic but during the Draft process I thought all Four QB's Williams - Daniels - Maye and Pennix Jr could all be very good. I was a little leery of JJ Mccarthy hope he proves me wrong.

 

[Ross12]

Bedard doesn't understand how Maye is reading the defense. He's going to run when the rushers leave him a huge window, when he sees the opening he goes, well before Henry makes his cut and before he is open. Yeah, a non-running QB has to stand in there and wait. I don't see an 11 yard run and a first down being a negative play. He had 2 choices, make the run to a large middle opening or wait until Henry cuts and see if he is open. If the CB goes inside and he's not open its too late to run because the defensive player spying is now in the pocket. Taking a free 10 yards or waiting to make a throw for 15. He had 2 good choices and chose one, maybe the other option was better but it's not a negative play. He did not bail early; he saw a running lane and went.

If anything, the 10 yard run is a better pick than the 15 yard pass, because the receiver might drop the 15 yard pass. If he sees a huge hole he should take it, get a first down and reset.

 

[ViperGTS]

If anything, the 10 yard run is a better pick than the 15 yard pass, because the receiver might drop the 15 yard pass. If he sees a huge hole he should take it, get a first down and reset.

Yeah I have heard some guys I trust say Maye had at worst 1 bad decision or idea of what he saw. Thats it. 1. Now, was his accuracy a little bit off..sure. However his decision making, in his 1st game says he saw everything.

What did the GOAT Mahomes say? Took him 3 years to find out what he was seeing? Maye did it game one of his rookie year. Suck it Mahomie.

 

[TomPatriot]

Without benefit of an itemization and studying the all-22, that would be hard to say.



Again, the grade was strictly for production at the position, not Maye perhaps exceeding expectations of a rookie in his first start.

I know that. I would have given him a B under the same circumstances. He missed some plays and had two turnovers, but the offense put up 21 on a day when the defense was terrible.

When was the last time a Pats QB threw 3 TDs, led the team in rushing, put up numbers nearly equal to the opposing QB, had a respectable 87.9 passer rating and threw for 243 yards? He was dynamic without much help around him.

 

[yukon cornelius]

He is saying he has seen no progress in Maye and he is still the same guy from NC. So he feels that they have done nothing to develop him sitting on the bench and if that is the case, they might as well have started him day one. He claims he sees no change in his footwork, mechanics, ability to see the field, decision making, etc.


Bedard isn't advocating that he thought Maye was ready to start day one. He is stating that the coaching staff wasted their opportunities to develop him while he was sitting.

then he clearly has an agenda, because he looks night and day better than he did in camp

 

[Vindicate]

His commentary addresses the context; for instance, he said Maye did a lot of good things for a rookie's first outing. For me, grading strictly on performance by position is the only way to be objectively accurate re. what is working and what isn't.

I was in a bad mood yesterday apparently; but you're not wrong. There are still things to glean, and if Maye is pulling out a C- in his first start against a playoff contending team behind an O-Line staffed by 20th stringers, that's a good start.

 

[Stu Pidassle]

I was in a bad mood yesterday apparently; but you're not wrong. There are still things to glean, and if Maye is pulling out a C- in his first start against a playoff contending team behind an O-Line staffed by 20th stringers, that's a good start.

I like the way you summarize the context behind the grade in a single sentence. Objectively the turnovers and handful of missed receivers makes Maye's performance average for a good NFL QB. The fact that he delivered average results in his first game is encouraging.

 

[Tunescribe]

I like the way you summarize the context behind the grade in a single sentence. Objectively the turnovers and handful of missed receivers makes Maye's performance average for a good NFL QB. The fact that he delivered average results in his first game is encouraging.

Just speaking personally, I thought Maye exceeded expectations for his first start. Only problem is those three turnovers were pretty damning re. impact on the team's chances to win.

 

[Thelonious]

Bedard is an ass. He is assiduous in his own weird way, but his judgement after all the beancounting and box-ticking is more in the service of his preening narcissism than it is of actual analysis. His podcast with Kadlick is ... creepy.

 

[Bill Lee]

Not sure what you mean by "grifting." It's a sports talk show so of course they're going to stir the pot with controversial takes, it's the nature of the beast. But as I've pointed out several times now, Bedard's analyses are objective.

You can get Bedard's commentary outside of the 98.5 sphere of influence by hearing/watching his podcast:

The problem in this for us is the Patriots have been more bad than good in recent years and the truth can be hard to hear.

This. Our fan base has HUGE expectations. We're not that kind of team any more. Maye is a draft pick, and some times you hit and some times you miss. He has had strong athletic capabilities throughout his college career, yet also has had accuracy issues. The accuracy issues IMO are enough to blunt his career path relative to the expectations one has of the 3rd overall pick, IMO. Maybe he gets better, but maybe not. I'm going to be in the 'not' camp till I see improvement. Given our current record and our projection for the rest of this season, if we aren't seeing signs of improvement this season, I'm hoping we draft another QB this off season. You gotta keep trying till you hit.