Drake Maye: “It Doesn’t Mean Anything Unless You Can Build On It.” | Patriots Press Conference

Drake Maye: “It Doesn’t Mean Anything Unless You Can Build On It.” | Patriots Press Conference

How you doing? What’s going on? Doing all right. How are you? Good. What’s the Saints defense look like? Yeah. Um, shoot. They got some better leadership for sure. Um, they’re good on the edges. They set the edge well and um basically on on the rundowns and uh they’re young in the secondary, but they’re they’re good. They’re athletic. They play the ball really well. I think they’re leading the league in PBUS or something like that. And um they forced five turnovers last week, so they’re great at at punching at the ball. And um like I said, they got some some veterans up front, some guys up front that have played a long time. and and Davis in the middle is I heard is one of the greatest, you know, dudes and one of the greatest leaders in in NFL. So, uh, we got our hands full and they got a good defensive coordinator who uh who does some good stuff and um I think it’s uh it’s a challenge a challenge going down there. You know, I know New Orleans can get loud and um I know they come off a big win. So, uh you know, it’s a challenge anytime going on the road and playing an opponent that is uh top, you know, wherever they are in turnovers and and and playing the ball in the air. So, you got to be uh got to be ready for them. Drake, how important is it for you collectively um and even on offense to kind of keep the momentum going after in wake of Buffalo? Yeah, it’s huge. I think this that one’s in the past. Keep going. You got to get get back at it this week. I think it’s huge. Um it starts with just positive plays, you know, keep going, get the first first down and um you know, just keep stay ahead of the chains. I think we’ve we’ve done a good job when we stay ahead of the chains and um you know, scoring touchdowns and you know, the emphasis of scoring touchdowns at the red zone. I think we you know, we came up short a little bit last week. So, um, you know, that’s that’s kind of a a big thing coming in, uh, you know, practice on Friday and then, you know, from there get on it, you know, tomorrow for third down and, um, just continue to watch them and, um, you know, it’s a different opponent. We don’t see them much, you know, FC team. Um, so just kind of try to get to know them and and, uh, you know, know that they, uh, they’re at home. They’re going to want to, you know, play hard and and, uh, force turnovers. You have a good game. Do you believe in momentum or are you more to wipe the slate clean? Yeah, I think it’s uh, something you can build off for Sure. I think the guys, you know, obviously it builds confidence. I think that’s what coach always preaches. You know, kind of getting wins. The wincom builds confidence, but you got to flush it and and keep going and worry about um you know, it’s any given week in this league, you know, you learn that really fast. So, um you know, everybody’s got good players and and good scheme and uh the more you play, the more they get tape on you. So, uh pick up habits and tendencies. Obviously, that being such a big win for you guys and it being a national TV game, I’m wondering, have you have you heard from people that you didn’t expect to hear from playing the way you did the other night? And is that in any way made it hard to move on even though you guys need to? Yeah. No, I mean, I think you get some texts from people around the league, but um I think it’s, you know, more about um getting back at it. I think, you know, you can remember one game and whatever week that was, week five, and um, you know, it doesn’t mean anything unless you um, you know, keep building on it and and and make it kind of a um, you know, ongoing thing. So, that’s a big thing. How do you explain your connection with Steph given he couldn’t participate much in the spring, obviously wasn’t here last year because it’s produced to a really high level the last two weeks. How did that come together so quickly? Yeah. Um, I think biggest thing is just he’s he’s a receiver. He’s easy to throw to. I think he’s easy. He’s got great hands. Um, um, he catches different ways with his body. he turns with the football and makes people miss very easily. It’s very natural. Um you can just tell he’s you played receiver a long time and um you know played at a high level. So just trying to put in his vicinity and um he always says you know I got you. So um just trust that and uh you I think just continue to build and build and you know try to get in the end zone. I just want to follow up kind of on what Phil was saying before. So you get these texts from other people around the league. Expectations have definitely raised for this team. I mean leaguewide people are talking about the Patriots now. Is it fair to hold yourself to a different standard now or is this kind of where you’ve been and you’re just going about? Yeah, I wouldn’t say it’s a different standard. It’s just something we’re trying to you know work towards you know building the standard for uh you know us as a team. You know making it hard at home to you know to beat us at home and and making a tough team that you know we’re bringing on the road. I think that’s we’re trying to build our identity and um I wouldn’t say the standard’s changing. We’re just trying to you know keep building it and keep you know showing u you know showing ourselves and showing people around the league. You mentioned all the takeaways that the Saints had last week and uh seems like you’ve done a much better job this season of avoiding turnovers. What what have been the steps towards avoiding those plays uh so far this season? Yeah. Um shoot. I think it’s, you know, first off, the guys up front are are playing their butts off. You know, they’re they’re protecting me great and um I joke with them all the time a lot. I think the sacks I’ve taken have I think have been all basically on me. So, um, they got beat a few times, but they’ve done a great job and playing hard and, um, also comes with this game, you know, we’re chipping on the edge and we’re, um, getting the ball out fast and, um, the guys have have really took home, you know, inside out and protection and, um, it’s been, you know, keep on, you know, playing every week, you know, playing hard and, um, I think they they want to, um, continue running the football and I think that only help um, kind of limit turnovers, you know, more down the road is being able to run the football and and stay ahead of chains. How does it change your process when you’re going against a zone defense that likes to play more spot drop versus ones that like to kind of do more pattern match? Yeah, I think the Saints do a good job of matching. You know, they’re going to, you know, play some zone and then play some two deep and when they go to post safety, you know, they’re they’re match our routes and um they’re good at playing the football and um I think it changes, you know, more receiver mentality, you know, kind of instead of depth and spacing kind of, you know, winning verse um, you know, match coverage, winning verse man, and you know, winning your one-on-one is what it comes down to. and uh comes down for me ball placement and um get out on time and um you making sure the football’s in the right spot for them to catch and run or um catch and make a play. So that’s the kind of the biggest thing. But uh yeah, they got some young DBs out there and um they’re fast and they make you know make great plays on the ball. So I played a few of them in college. Buffalo um in the play second quarter you found the trivia for like very short game but in the same quarter later in the same quarter same play you found you found Harley for a 20 22 yard game. Yeah. So, what does that play? What are the sequence mean to you and how what can we see what can we say about you guys uh from offensive? Yeah, just taking uh you know in-game coaching in game looking at the tablet. You know, I feel like I look at it um and try to get good grasps of it. You know, I felt like I had the crosser right when I threw the the check down Tion I really um thought to myself, man, I may may have had it behind him. Um just trying to, you know, play off of uh just tendencies in the game and you I think we got the same coverage on that play. So, just trying to learn from it and and know uh um you know Hunter made a great play, you know, what a catch he made over the middle and um like I said, just learning from you know, previous plays and a lot of times they show up again. Have you had an offense coordinator who’s so willing to repeat play calls within the game and how does that help you in terms of being able to learn and grow throughout? Yeah, I think it’s a it’s uh it’s really big in college, you know, teams, you know, repeat plays all the time. Um I think in NFL, yeah, like I said, it’s not as common, but I I love repeating plays and and uh running the same stuff. I think you get a good grasp and sometimes you get the same coverage, sometimes you get different and um that’s really what practice is for. I think it’s it’s a little bit of a simulation of practice. You repeat the same plays and get different looks and you know try to be successful. So um yeah, it’s good and um like I said, you know, plays that you like especially like repeating them. Any connection with Rattler? Yeah, I got to know Spence um you know, a little bit throughout the draft process. Obviously same class. Um I got to know him uh one other time. Where is it? Maybe in the Manning camp. I’m not sure what it was, but uh yeah, you know, great dude. Um, you know, play played in South Carolina. Shoot, what am I what am I thinking? Um, I played in South Carolina the home opener. Um, it was in Charlotte, you know, my last year of college, our last year. So, uh, yeah, big fan. And I was playing some good football and, um, I like the way he throws it. So, uh, yeah, big fan of Spencer. Drake, Drake, you mentioned the, uh, the tablet after the game, too. You’re watching it instead of looking at the kick. Just the, uh, the run game stuff. I was just curious like how do you feel like that’s coming along in terms of making checks and stuff like that? Yeah. Um, shoot. you know, trying to get us into good looks. I think we’re close in the run game. We got, you know, we got some ones that are are close to popping and um those guys are um it’s a big emphasis, you know, every week to try to run the football and um those guys are doing a great job. I think just finish blocks a little longer. Um you know, the backs are are uh you know, running good. So, just finish blocks a little longer and those guys are, you know, doing a great job, but I think some some run games, some some big runs are is kind of what we uh kind of been missing a little bit just for the you know, being real explosive. I think those are are coming in the near future. Has Will shared anything about the Super Dome? haven’t been there plenty of times or Yeah. Uh you know, I talked to uh you know, Will is basically home game for him. So, uh it’d be pretty cool. Um no, I went down there last year for Super Bowl, so I saw it a little bit, but uh I think um you know, Will playing in New Orleans. I think he’s I’m not sure if he’s ever played in there, but obviously he grew up around there and says it gets loud and they say it’s different. I think the the sidelines a lot bigger and the fans are a little farther from us, but I think they hold, you know, noise pretty well. So, uh looking forward to playing down there. I heard it’s a, you know, really cool spot. So, thank you guys.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye addresses the media on Wednesday, October 8, 2025.

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