TRANSCRIPT: Drake Maye Postgame Press Conference 11/10

Here’s what Drake Maye had to say following the New England Patriots win over the Bears on Sunday:

OPENING STATEMENT:

“Phones down, phones down, notepads down real quick. Just clap it up for the defense, man. Clap it up, clap it up. Somebody else clap up. There we go. Appreciate you. There we go.”

On what it was like to watch the defense perform on a day like that:

“Man, it’s a good feeling sitting over there as an offense, as a quarterback, that type of defensive performance. I feel like all the 11 are out there at a time, but I know 15, 20 played. Just credit to them, credit to them in practice this week. It’s just kind of a good taste of what it looked like for me in training camp. They get after you. Mix up shell, mix up coverage, mix up blitz packages. It was pretty cool to watch. It’s good to be on the other side of the ball. I got to make some better decisions and keep those guys in good field position.”

On the fact he seemed to settle down, they had some new packages out there, some bubble screen looks and alignments, and what helped him get the flow of the game there, especially right before the end of the half:

“I think to be able to run the football, anytime you’re able to run the football on first down. I feel like that was the big thing today. Credit to those guys up front, our guys, they played their butts off and run blocking and, pass pro. I think to be able to run the football, seeing some first downs and some big yards on first downs kind of helped us throughout the way. Then down there, we had a couple of good drives that we got down there and got down in the red zone. The Bears are one of the best red zone defenses in the league. I think there’s some throws that I’d like to have back. Obviously, that one first interception, it’s just a bad decision. Try to throw it away and got to throw it away farther. But at the end of the day, the defense won this football game, we did just enough.”

On the broadcast saying he asked Alex Van Pelt if he could address the offense because he was a little bit frustrated with what he was seeing in practice, and what exactly was he seeing that made him compelled to say something:

“Yeah, I think just little things. I think just taking that next step as me being the quarterback in the offensive meeting room of these little things that are adding up and hurting us in practice that are leading to game day. I think last week I mentioned, we had a second and third down in the two-minute drill that we ran it, and we couldn’t pick up one yard, little things like that, just a little detailed and focus. I think sometimes you get in the practice mode where you’re just running plays and not really tuned in and trying to execute specific plays. You’re trying to get in a groove of, ‘Hey, we’re just running plays out here just for nothing.’ Just really try to challenge those guys and challenge myself to take each play and know that when the game comes and this play is called, it matters. There’s so many times throughout the game, you see that how much that play can impact the turnout of the game. I was just trying to get through to them and probably following some words, trying to do it, but I think those guys respected it.”

On the pass to Kayshon Boutte before the end of the half and what he saw on that play, along with the process of getting up there and spiking it:

“Yeah, it looked like they were in two man, so we practiced – credit to Coach Mayo and offensive guys and the staff – we practice those like nobody’s business. We practice them every week with big plays and a chunk play and getting up there and spiking it. I think we even practiced that in our walkthrough yesterday morning. I think that was the same exact thing where we have no timeouts. It’s either rush the field goal team on, I don’t know if we could have had time for that. So no timeouts, we had to clock it and it ended up working. So I think we looked at that same play on film, the backside dig and shows what a tribute of these coaches get me prepared and just making the throw.”

On why he’s able to bounce back after that interception early, come back, end of the half of the couple series that they had?

“It’s being a competitor. I think just knowing, have confidence in myself. I know that’s not my style of football, turning the football over like that. And just growing up and playing different sports and having older brothers and being able to bounce back and getting dunked on a mini hoop and having to come back here and bounce back from older brothers. Whether it’s that or just facing adversity throughout the season, I think more and at times, not everything’s going to go right, not everything’s going to go perfect. I think you saw that from the offense today. But being able to bounce back and do what we need to do with a defensive performance like that.”

On if he can talk about how much he wants to earn everyone’s respect as a rookie coming in to this locker room?

“Yeah, I think that’s huge. No doubt. I think that’s something you got to balance, getting to know these guys and being genuine with them and going, creating different relationships, sitting with different people, where I’m getting something to eat or playing different guys and reaching out to different guys, trying to get on a personal level instead of just, ‘Hey, I’m a teammate. We’re friends when we come to work and go home.’ Text them after, send them a video, ‘Hey, in this look,’ when we’re watching film at home. Little things like that. I think it can go a long way. Like I said, trying to get each guy on a personal level can… You feel like, ‘Oh, okay, I know Drake. He cares about me.’ That’s how I’m approaching it.”

On what the date and time was that he spoke to the team this week?

“I think maybe after Wednesday’s practice. The first practice of the week, I think I fumbled a snap. I think we didn’t pick up protection that we’ve been trying to pick up. I think may have had some little mental errors that I think I really start with myself that I think ended up that we didn’t show today, and that’s what counted.”

On going 5-for-5 in the second quarter and completing that touchdown pass to Ja’Lynn Polk

“That’s pretty cool. First round, pick a second round pick, and I think JP, he’s finding it. I think there’s some times where I think I may have him some other times in the game, and I think he’s going to be a great player and looking forward to hoping that touchdown gives him some confidence, and he’s going to make a lot of plays for us.”

“Thank you.”

About Ian Logue

Ian Logue is a Seacoast native and owner and senior writer for PatsFans.com, an independent media site covering the New England Patriots and has been running this site in one form or another since 1997.

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