Here’s what quarterback Drake Maye had to say following the New England Patriots 34-15 loss to the Dolphins on Sunday.
On the second possession where they were driving and to have it go the way it did:
“Penalties just hurt us. I think it hurt us all the whole first half. Just hurting ourselves. I feel like we had a chance to move the ball on these guys, and they were pretty good up front, and they were a good defense that we faced. Just nothing that they did. I think just penalties set us back and put us behind the eight ball. We just can’t do that in this league.”
On if it feels like instead of improving this time, they’re taking a step back:
“I wouldn’t say that. I think these penalties are something that you can control. I don’t think …When you see something improving, I think we’re making plays and we got a chance to do some things. But I think penalties are something that’s not necessarily an easy fix, but it’s more focus and listening to the calls and to the cadence and little things like that. So I don’t think it’s something where we’re just getting beat and out talented. I think it’s just something that we’re hurting ourselves. So we got a chance in these last games to put some good film on tape and find some wins.”
On how he feels about his cadence and the calls for him:
“Credit the stadium. I think they were pretty loud at times. I think just be on different cadences. We worked it all week and just sometimes … don’t blame those guys up front. They got a tough job. They got to get off on the snap count and get back there and block some pretty good guys on the edge. So I don’t blame them for getting off and trying to get a good set. I think sometimes those happen. I just think we had too many holds. I think some of them, especially on first down, first down you’re getting first in 20s and second in 16s. It’s just hard. It’s hard to pick up first downs and move the ball.”
On the miscommunication with Demario Douglas and what happened:
“I just missed him. We got a chance to put ourselves and go score and put some points on the board and keep us in the ball game, really. So, more just mad at myself. We caught him in a blitz from the boundary blitz that really was nobody covering him. So, just got to hit him. That’s an easy throw, and just missed it.”
On the fact he talked about learning from experience and protecting the football, and what he learned from the turnovers on Sunday:
“The fumble, just find a way to protect the football and go down or find a way to get it out. I think maybe I could have spun out of it, and maybe kind of reversed out of it, and maybe could have escaped it. But other than that, just can’t try to… I don’t want to swim-move the guy with a football. It’s just bad. Protect the football. We preached it all week, and I didn’t do that out there. The interception, just trying to check it down and happen to get tipped. So I’m not too worried about that.”
On the touchdown to Austin Hooper:
“Just a broken play. Just trying to make a play and put some points on the board.”
On the fact they were down the way they were and if he was willing to take more risks that might result in turnovers:
“I think it’s hard. It’s hard to balance trying to make plays and keep drives alive. You know, we’re in third and long or last touch down was fourth and 15, just trying to make something happen. Give us a little light. It ended up happening. Gonzo put us back in the ball game and then go down there and turn the ball back over. It was tough. It was frustrating. I know we got better football ahead of us, and this wasn’t our best product today.”
On the fact he’s won a lot of games in his life and how he’s handling the struggles right now:
“It’s tough. Any time you’re losing, I think, like I’ve always said, I hate losing more than I really like to win. Losing sucks. I think, what I told some of the guys inside, just remember this feeling. Remember this feeling of really getting our butts whooped today. I think it’s only up from here. We got a bright future and bright players in there that are going to make some players for the Patriots.”
On if he thinks back on maybe things would have been different if they scored on that first sustained drive early in the game:
“I think so, maybe. I think it’s easy to say. It’s a whole new ball game. Go and score 14-7, make it 14-7. That’s a lot better than punting it away and making it 21-0.”
“Thank you.”
(Editor’s Note: This transcript is done via the available footage and is subject to typos. If you spot something, please take a moment to let me know in the comments below.)
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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.
The Pats core issue is today and for the season in whole is line of scrimmage play on offense and defense. The Pats on D had the Rams and MIA throw all over them and the pats can’t get a hand on the QB. Opponebts that can run the ball end up getting 150+ on the pats and beat the pats that way. Regaring the pats offense, the line just can’t block effectively period. Penalties in this scenario are merely a by-product of players that are over matched or getting beat. A by-product just like the running yds or passing… Read more »