Oct 26, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) enters the field prior to the first half against the Cleveland Browns at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Patriots Shake Up Pregame Tradition on Drake Maye

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Oct 26, 2025 7:00 PM ET

For the first time since the 2001 season, the New England Patriots switched up their pregame ritual. Ahead of their Week 8 clash against the Cleveland Browns, the team -- who has historically ran out of the tunnel as a team -- threw a curveball.

Prior to the game, Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel teased the change on 98.5 The Sports Hub, saying it's something that will likely fire up the players and fans before kickoff. So when the team's young quarterback was asked about how he thought it went, Drake Maye was brutally honest about himself.

"I was nervous, a little bit nervous for it," Maye told reporters after the Patriots' 32-13 victory over the Browns to improve to 6-2. "You always see other teams do it. I got really no swag, so I just go out there and run. But I think the guys enjoyed it … We’ll work on it, (the fans) were loud."

In 2001, the Patriots changed the way the NFL approaches the Super Bowl. Teams used to have their starting lineups introduced one-by-one ahead of the game, but New England decided to "be introduced as a team" before going on to win XXXVI, starting a tradition that has carried into the next two decades. Until now.

Patriots Breaking Long-Standing Tradition

Typically, the Patriots run out of the tunnel as a team as Ozzy Osbourne's Crazy Train blares from the PA speakers. This time, anyone who wasn't an offensive starter ran out to the tune, while each of the 11 offensive starters waited their turn. Maye alluded to the fact that they were pretty rusty with it, as some of the players were running out well before their name was being called by public address announcer John Rooke.

Once the whistle blew, the Patriots got back into the winning groove that has kept them at the top of the AFC through the first two months of the season. A slow first half gave way to a barrage of touchdowns, three of them coming through the air in the third quarter, en route to New England's fifth-straight win, and sixth overall. Maye finished the day 18-of-24 with 282 yards passing and those three aforementioned scores.

So while Maye might have been nervous to run out onto the Gillette Stadium turf all by himself on Sunday, he was able to settle in and ease those nerves once he strapped his helmet on.

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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