The close win over the Cincinnati Bengals was a point that looked almost impossible to achieve during the game, given the number of injuries piling up. But the New England Patriots scraped it out and went back to Foxboro with their ninth-straight win, already looking ahead to the future without some of their most important players.
The biggest hits came when rookie offensive lineman Jared Wilson left the game during the team's first drive with an ankle injury. He was carted to the locker room, immediately worrying fans about his availability. The same was also felt not too long later, when starting left tackle Will Campbell left the game with a leg injury.
Fortunately, early reports claim neither is dealing with a season-ending injury, and they should be back in time for the playoffs.
But in the meantime, that means the Patriots' depth will be tested on the offensive line, and although many analysts and fans are concerned about who will be filling in for the impressive rookies, the most important person of all is not at all worried.
Drake Maye doesn't seem at all concerned about how the Patriots' offensive line backups will play the rest of the season
While appearing on WEEI for his weekly interview earlier this week, quarterback Drake Maye was (of course) asked about his feelings on Campbell and Wilson's injuries, specifically how he feels about the players who will be stepping up in their place.
As of now, the expectation is that Vederian Lowe will fill in at left tackle, who rotated at the position for much of last season, and Ben Brown will fill in at left guard or center, wherever he is needed. Based on how the group performed in 2024, fans are worried, but Maye feels confident that their experience working together during his rookie season will help make it a smooth transition.
#Patriots QB Drake Maye on LT Vederian Lowe and LG Ben Brown starting:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) November 25, 2025
“All those reps we got last year, those are gonna pay off… [They’ve] made me comfortable when they do get reps in practice… That’s the biggest thing I tell them — ‘I trust you guys.’”
(🎙️@WEEIAfternoons) pic.twitter.com/CmnVfNw8DC
That's the kind of confidence that fans need to hear from the quarterback, even if he is giving a slightly politically correct answer.
Regardless, the fact that he worked with these players last year should ultimately mean something once they reunite on the field for the upcoming games. They might not play as well as those that they're replacing, but there's a chance they will perform better than expected.
That's the hope, anyway, and Maye's confidence is something the rest of the team can feed off of, especially the offense. They'll certainly need it during their upcoming games against the Bills and Ravens with the division and playoff seeding on the line.