Saying the New England Patriots got off to a worrisome start to the season wouldn't tell half of the story. Mike Vrabel's team looked deflated in the first three games, and it all started with Drake Maye, the most important piece.
Maye lacked confidence early in the season. He hesitated when reading coverage, held onto the ball for too long, and made uncharacteristic mistakes. Clearly, he still hadn't gotten over the Super Bowl loss.
That's why, after urging him to take a deep breath and get out of his own head earlier in the season, team legend Rob Gronkowski also gave him his flowers for his recent turnaround. In an exclusive interview with Heavy, the former Super Bowl champion jumped right back on the Maye bandwagon.
Rob Gronkowski gives Drake Maye props for getting back on his feet
“I think this is the Drake Maye that is here to stay. It’s the one that we just saw over the last 2 weeks. He’s playing at a high level once again: he can decipher defenses, he’s getting the ball to the open receiver or running back out of the backfield,” Gronk said. “I think those 2-3 weeks; that fluke just happens and it just shows his mental toughness to get out of that.”
Maye has led the team to a 4-1 record in the past five weeks, including two divisional wins. During that span, he's thrown for 1,389 passing yards, 14 touchdowns, and just a couple of interceptions, with a 122.2 passer rating.
To make things even more impressive, the bulk of that production has come with Mack Hollins, A.J. Brown, and Romeo Doubs all out. He's also had to play behind a makeshift offensive line and push through the Patriots' plethora of injuries.
It takes much more than talent and good coaching to make it in this league. Hell, sometimes, not even health and luck are enough to get it done. Maye has proven to have the mental fortitude to deal with the ebbs and flows of the regular season and the — often unrealistic — expectations that come with playing the position, especially in New England.
The critics were having a field day with him after the Patriots fell to 1-2, with lazy jokes about the schedule flooding social media. Those hot-take specialists have gone radio silent in the past month or so.
As such, it's only right that a team legend like Gronk, who didn't criticize Maye but acknowledged that something wasn't entirely right with him at first, keeps the same energy and gives him props after he got the monkey off his back.
It's never about how you start the season; it's about what you do when things aren't going your way and playing your best football when it matters most. The Pats should be healthier in the second half of the season, and with Maye trending in the right direction, it'll be interesting to see what they have to say now.
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