Here’s what Drake Maye had to say during his postgame press conference following the New England Patriots’ loss on Sunday to the Los Angeles Chargers.
On his day, his health, and how disappointing it was after what they were able to do in Buffalo:
“Yeah, just kind of got my bell rung on the first drive. I don’t know if any of you all ever played or ever got hit, but sometimes you get your bell wrong and got to shake back. I guess the spotter called down again and had to pass some tests, but I feel good. Still feel good, and I feel like I was good to go. Then just the game, I think, things weren’t working our way. I think felt like a little bit of Arizona, we really couldn’t get in the rhythm offensively. Obviously, the pitch was unfortunate. Just had a blitz off the edge that just happened to be a good call on their part. Then just felt like all day, nothing they were doing, we just got to play cleaner football and we got to help our defense out when they’re moving the ball well – stay on the field – time of possession was pretty one-sided.”
On the fact he was passionate recently defending Jerod Mayo and Alex Van Pelt and if he can explain what they’re doing that gives him hope and promise for the future:
“I think they’re still bringing it every week. I think that’s the biggest thing you see. They’re not quitting. They’re still coaching as hard. Since week one, they’re still studying film as hard, still meeting, they’re still meeting as hard. So the biggest thing is, you don’t see those guys quitting. And I think the score may not tell the day, but I feel like these guys are still wanting to win. We’re still leaving all out there every week. I think that was kind of my message to the team, ‘Give it all you got our last two games and this one today.’ We got one more chance next week and just leave it all out there.”
On if there was a discussion about him staying in the game late:
“I want to be in the game. I guess the biggest thing, I want to be in the game. I want to be out with those guys. If our guys are out there, I want to be out there with them and shoot, may see something that may help us next week out there.”
On the fact he asked if there was a discussion or if it was just an understanding:
“Yeah, just an understanding.”
On if there’s a fine line when he turns into a ball carrier of making the yardage but also trying to protect himself:
“Yeah, for sure. I think, yeah, probably should just have thrown it away or play the next series. It was third down, so I was trying to get a first, and I guess I stepped out of bounds before, but I definitely think in the first quarter of a game where third down is – my mentality, ‘Go get it,’ but at the same time, you got know the situation.”
On the touchdown to Demario Douglas if he was aware when he took the shot, if that was the play call or a result of seeing he had a free play based on the penalty:
“Yeah, seeing a free play. We worked on it this week and just give those guys a chance. We got a penalty to give those guys a chance. Negative play on a free play doesn’t hurt. I think the biggest thing is not to take a hit. So I tried to get it off before I got hit and Pop made a great play.”
On the fact over the last month, the team may not have been winning games but there was a feeling there was development and growth, and the team was heading in the right direction. This result hits a different way and how he feels about the growth of the team overall and if he has questions whether they’re trending in the right direction:
“Yeah, I think John Jones hit it in the locker room after. I think it’s just two different teams, I feel like, that showed up with us between this week and last week. I think the two playoff teams we faced, and we see what we could do against a playoff team last week and just feel like it wasn’t there this week. I think, whether it’s just look back and self-evaluation, look myself in the mirror. I definitely left some players out there. Everybody’s got to look yourself in the mirror and say, ‘Hey, am I doing whatever we need to do to be on the same page and play good football?’ I think it’s in there. I think it’s in store for us. Like I said last week, we got people in here that can make plays and good players in this league. So we just got to put it all together and find a way to do more, get on the same page offensively and get the ball rolling. I feel like that’s kind of the tale of two tales. When we’re rolling, we’re rolling well. When we’re not, we’re kind of stagnant.”
On coach Mayo mentioning they were trying to develop him and what the value was in his mind of the two series he played in the fourth quarter, and if he feels like at this point in his NFL career, if he can protect himself without compromising competitive integrity:
“For sure. I think – the second part of your question – definitely an even balance between being competitive and protecting myself out there, especially in a scenario like that. But at the same time, I want to go down there and move the ball. I want to move the ball. I want to get some juices flowing for these guys and make everybody, at least offensively, say, ‘Hey, we can still move the ball on these guys and go score.’ So that’s the mentality. First part of your question was-”
The value of those two series:
“Yeah, the value. I want to be out there. Like I said, I want to be out there. I want to be out there with those guys. Then they had those guys up front, they’re battling their butts off. So I’m not going to be out there and go to the coach and say, ‘Hey, take me out.’ It’s not me.”
On what happened on the toss to Demario Douglas:
“Yeah, we practiced the play for a long time. I feel like we were executing it well, and they happened to bring the nickel off the edge. I think he’s kind of right by Pop. And that’s unfortunate. Just a good call on their part. Then I got to give to him a better ball to catch. That really falls back on me. I think Pop may have readjusted his thing a little bit, his route or his path, just because of the blitzer off the edge. But I got to give him a chance to – can’t turn the ball over.”
On what it’s been like working with Cole Strange and what it was like being out there with him today:
“I thought he handled it well. A lot of pressure on him. He’s first start at center. Center is a different job than playing guard. So I was proud of the way he worked, proud of the way he fought. Got to watch the tape and probably go over some little things that maybe we could do better. But he caught the guys offsides. That’s really him doing that. Snapped the ball and really a credit to him.”
On his first play back in the game where he scrambled and took another hit, if that was the message that ‘we need to play tough, we need to play a competitive game?’
“Yeah. Anytime I’m telling the doctors ‘I’m good to go,’ I’m going to come back and give it all I got. So maybe I could have had a Boutte on a crossing route there. I could have thrown it, but end up getting the flag. But I think that’s the message to those guys. ‘Hey, I’m coming back, I’m ready to go.’ Same thing when I came back from a concussion. Be the same player. If I feel like I’m not 100% to go and the best me out there, I won’t put myself back out there.”
(The above is also subject to typographical errors. Any issues or questions, please 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.
