Could Drake Maye regression derail Patriots’ season?

Drake Maye’s postseason struggles currently defining the narrative in New England

His incredible regular season was followed by a mediocre statistical performance in the playoffs, where the young star just barely averaged more than 200 yards per game and had seven touchdowns compared to eight turnovers. The Patriots still found a way to advance to the Super Bowl, but Maye wasn’t much of a factor in getting them there.

His postseason struggles make it more difficult to believe that he’ll be able to consistently put together regular seasons like 2025. However, New England has done everything possible to support their face of the franchise this offseason, including the blockbuster trade for wide receiver A.J. Brown.

The new duo struggled to build a connection early in training camp, but things have improved dramatically in recent practices. Despite the progression from the set of teammates, Maye hit some road bumps in the Patriots’ recent joint practice against the Indianapolis Colts, with The Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan noting that the third-year quarterback was good early on in the session, but a late interception soured the day.

Defense, Drake Maye’s turnovers could derail Patriots’ season

Maye’s turnovers were something that hindered the team greatly in the postseason and could derail this upcoming campaign if he isn’t careful. It’s been a mixed bag in terms of training camp performance for Maye, but interceptions are something that have popped up from time to time, which is concerning since fumbles have been a bigger issue for him to this point.

His play might not be as big of a factor if New England’s defense regains its form from last year, but that doesn’t seem like something you can count on at this point. The defense got shredded against the Colts on Tuesday, which is a bad sign considering that their potential starting quarterback wasn't participating.

Maye turning the ball over and the defense getting pushed around isn’t what the Patriots want to see this deep into the offseason. But one thing to keep in mind is that they started off 1-2 last season before going 13-1 in the final 14 games, so there’s evidence that they can get the ship steadied even if things are rocky at first.

New England drafted Maye with the hopes that he would become a quarterback who can carry a franchise. He struggled the last time we saw him against an opposing team and he didn’t have the best start this year against the opposition either. The Patriots must hope this stretch of play is just a blip on the radar because one of the objective truths about this sport is that it’s incredibly difficult to win without good quarterback play.