Within the NFL landscape, whether it's teams or the media, there is always plenty of critiquing of players' performances to go around, but not much accountability taken publicly by players. The New England Patriots haven't been one of the teams to shy away from that, even during their peak dynasty years, and it looks like that kind of attitude is continuing with the new regime.
We've already seen what kind of player Drake Maye is, and his natural leadership has really shined through this season. Despite his young age of just 23, he's made significant strides since entering the NFL and remains humble about the success he's already achieved, especially at this point in the season, as MVP talks heat up.
Every week, we see more examples of what the Patriots are getting from their quarterback behind the scenes, and the more he talks to the media, the more likable he becomes, as if the fanbase hasn't already decided they love him.
And now, he's admitting fault in one of the weakest areas of the offense that is not often said by quarterbacks across the league, no matter how tenured they are in the NFL.
Drake Maye admits fault in one of the Patriots' offense's biggest weaknesses this season
While speaking to reporters on Wednesday afternoon, Maye discussed the high number of sacks he's been hit with over the last few weeks and, shockingly, took responsibility for most of them.
Rather than blaming his offensive line, he took the brunt of the blame, and, according to the Boston Herald's Andrew Callahan, statistically, Maye isn't wrong to take ownership.
This holds up, too.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) November 5, 2025
I've charted fewer than half of the #Patriots 34 sacks allowed as being on failed O-line blocks. Maye's pressure-to-sack rate is also 2nd-highest among starters.
But for this to be the only real hole in his game at 23 and after 21 starts — pretty unreal! https://t.co/wFuBCQcZJR
Over the last three games, Maye has been sacked 16 times, prompting a lot of criticism of the offensive line. While they're clearly not wholly innocent —there are two rookies on the line and Mike Onwenu struggled last week —there are several instances in which Maye held onto the football too long, so the criticism toward the offensive line is misplaced.
The fact that a quarterback as inexperienced as Maye is owning up to his mistakes in a public way is almost mind-boggling because that is not something you ever hear from the most seasoned quarterbacks.
They might not throw their teammates under the bus, but they rarely acknowledge any responsibility, making Maye's admission that much more admirable.
It will certainly need to be a focus moving forward, and will need to improve immediately, as the Patriots prepare to take on the Bucs in Tampa Bay. Their defensive line is now a joke, and has racked up 15 sacks in the last three games, so it will inevitably be a tough outing for Maye and the offensive line.
Allowing their defenders to dictate the offense's success will derail their chances of stealing a win and continuing their win streak into mid-November. They cannot allow that to happen, and hopefully, they will revert to the kind of production they had throughout most of October, with sacks no longer a central issue.