Week 1 is in the books for the 2026 New England Patriots, and as always, it didn't take long before hot-take artists and pundits started firing their shots. Overreaction and hyperbole are often two big foes to deal with at this time of the season.
Drake Maye struggled again against Mike Macdonald's sturdy defense, and he gave the trolls plenty to work with. That's understandable and a part of the gig, but counting him out after just one game is as lazy as it is inaccurate.
That was the case with Emory Hunt, who jumped the gun to claim that Drew Lock had outplayed Maye in the season opener. Hopefully, the apology will be as loud as the disrespect will be over the next 11 days.
Drake Maye has 16 more games to silence the critics during the 2026 season
Patriots fans will be the first to say that Maye wasn't up to the standards in that game. Clearly, he still hasn't figured out the Seahawks' elite pass rush and shape-shifting secondary, and he took some unnecessary risks, especially down the stretch.
But we're talking about a young man who's making his 34th career start, and it's not like this loss was solely on him. The running game couldn't get anything going, and outside of that big gain on a flea-flicker, Josh McDaniels' play-calling was often vanilla and conservative.
They often judge Maye as if he were a 10-year veteran making rookie mistakes. Is it because of Tom Brady's shadow? Is it because they don't realize how talented he is? Or maybe it's just anti-Patriots bias? Perhaps it's a combination of all of the above.
Maye has already done more than most quarterbacks can even dream of. Loss or not, he led his team to a Super Bowl and was one first-place vote shy of an MVP in his first full season as a starter; that should've bought him some leeway and the benefit of the doubt, but that clearly isn't the case.
All young quarterbacks go through growing pains, and if this is the worst he'll ever be, the Patriots should be just fine for the next decade-plus. He'll make better decisions with more playing time under his belt, as he's shown time and time again last season.
Maye and the Patriots have heard it all. Some called him a reach; others said he'd fail as a starter. He responded by leading the league in completion percentage and passer rating in his second season with the pros, and he'll respond again after another ugly outing.
Football is a complex game, but it can be simple at times. The harsh reality is that the Seahawks have the Patriots' number, and they must work on that as a team. You have to beat the best to be the best, and there's a chance they'll cross paths again in the final game of the season pretty soon.
That said, even on a bad night, Maye had the Patriots in a position to win — or at least tie — the game, and that should be all that matters here. He wasn't perfect, of course, but let's just hope talking heads keep the same energy about him after he bounces back from this dud.
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