If you’re eager for Drake Maye to make a Year 2 leap, you might need to practice patience.

Maye’s first start of his second NFL season didn’t inspire much confidence. While the young New England Patriots quarterback posted a decent final stat line Sunday — 30-of-46 for 287 passing yards and a touchdown with an interception — he looked erratic and skittish at times in the pocket, and his turnover was a back-breaker that led directly to a Las Vegas Raiders touchdown.

Maye’s unsteadiness was the biggest takeaway for Patriots Insider Tom E. Curran after New England’s 20-13 loss.

“Today we saw a less-than-poised Drake Maye,” Curran said on the latest episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast. “Jumpy, the pitter-patter of feet, moving for no particular reason. Inaccuracy on throws to (Mack) Hollins, for instance. Inaccuracy early in the game on a throw to DeMario Douglas. He’s over-amped.”

Specifically, Curran believes the game is still moving too fast for the 23-year-old QB. Curran made his point by highlighting Maye’s explanation of his early-third-quarter interception.

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“Yeah, I think I thought I had [Stefon] Diggs,” Maye said of his pick. “We were on the right, and got to kind of look back on it on film. You don’t have a great look at it. I think I missed it high. I think I’ve got to step into it more. I think I may have got hit up front.

“But that’s just part of playing quarterback in this league. You’ve got to step into the throw and take hits and be accurate. Yeah, there’s plays throughout the game I wish I had back, and I can think of three or four for me that can help dictate the game. It’s a bummer thinking back and looking back at those.”

Curran contrasted Maye’s rather scattershot answer to an observation Bill Belichick made about Tom Brady during the legendary quarterback’s second season in New England.

“In 2001, the Patriots had a second-year player,” Curran explained. “And before he made his first start, his head coach, Bill Belichick, was asked, ‘Why does this player fit? Why would you start him over Damon Huard?’ … And Bill said, ‘I don’t think I’m going to be standing here every week talking about all the mistakes that Tom Brady made.’

“And one thing that Bill explained by way of illustrating Brady’s competence was, when he comes back to the sideline and you ask him what he saw on a bad play, he can tell you exactly (what happened). And then you look at the film later, and everything matches up what he said. And some quarterbacks will come back to the sideline and they’ll tell you what they saw, and you look at the film and nothing matches up.

“When I hear Maye’s explanation, he kind of says, ‘I have to look back at it on film. Don’t have a great look at it. I think I missed it high. I think I’ve got to step into it more. I think I thought I had Stefon Diggs.'”

While we shouldn’t read too much into a single answer in a press conference, Curran believes Maye’s explanation of his interception is evidence that the game has yet to slow down for the 2024 first-round pick.

“I’m not nitpicking him for not giving a tremendously detailed answer with everything checking every box,” Curran added. “But when you listen to the cadence and the speed with which he answers the question and the overamped-ness of it, I’m pointing out that this is a guy who needs to slow things down.

“He needs to slow them down at the beginning of the game. He needs to slow his brain down in these critical moments, and he needs to let things happen.

“Is he good? Yeah, he’s freaking good. Does he have a great arm? Yes, he does. Is he going to get better? Is he smart enough? No doubt. (But) he moves too fast mentally.”

Sunday was only Maye’s 13th NFL start, so there’s plenty of time for the North Carolina product to improve his processing ability. But if the Patriots want to bounce back next Sunday against the Dolphins in Miami, they’ll need Maye to be sharper than he was in Week 1.

Also in this episode:

Tom breaks down the stretch of play during the second half that ultimately cost the Patriots the game.

Reacting to the good and bad from the rest of the offense and defense.

Phil Perry shares his thoughts on Drake Maye’s performance vs. the Raiders.

Why was the team not able to do more with DeMario Douglas in the passing game? 

How much does it matter if Drake Maye’s mechanics and fundamentals backslide this year?