Patriots' Drake Maye discusses playing style after concussion scare

After New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye entered the NFL's concussion protocol during the club's Week 8 win over the New York Jets on Oct. 27, New England offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt made it known he didn't love the idea of Maye completing a plethora of designed run plays during games. 

Maye cleared the concussion protocol to rush the ball eight times for 95 yards in this past Sunday's 20-17 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans that dropped New England to 2-7 on the season. During a Monday afternoon appearance on Boston sports radio station WEEI, Maye echoed Van Pelt's take about how and when he'll make plays with his legs. 

"I think kind of just dropping back there, taking advantage of the rush lanes, and little things like that, finding enough ways to make plays with my feet and trying to extend plays...I think we have enough of that in our offense," Maye said, as Karen Guregian of MassLive shared. "I think running the football is tough on my body."

Maye's ability to scramble away from defenders allowed him to throw a highlight-reel touchdown pass on the final play of regulation against the Titans. Add in that he's rushed for 209 total yards and a score on 21 carries this season, and one may assume Van Pelt and Co. would want to use Maye as a dual-threat weapon. 

Of course, the Jets-Patriots game offered a reminder that Maye is just one hit away from becoming a spectator for longer than a play. Perhaps that's why he suggested on Monday he's just fine with letting running backs Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson and JaMycal Hasty get the bulk of the carries in games such as this coming Sunday's contest at the 4-4 Chicago Bears. 

"I think you want to give him the ball and let him run rather than me," Maye said about Stevenson serving as New England's primary ball carrier. 

The Patriots selected Maye third overall in this year's draft, hoping he would develop into a long-term franchise quarterback who wins games with his arm. Thus, it makes sense that the club's owners want to limit Maye's punishment during a losing season for the organization.