Drake Maye proved he's no Mac Jones even in Patriots Week 6 loss

The long-awaited NFL debut of Drake Maye made the Patriots' Week 6 matchup with the Texans a must-watch television event, even if it was widely believed they had no chance of leaving Gillette Stadium with another win.

The first five weeks of the season had been underwhelming, lackluster, disappointing, and more, putting a lot of hope behind Maye's first career start to bring the much-needed boost to the offense. It wasn't anticipated he would perform his best, given the uncertainty surrounding the offensive line and the tough pass rushers he was set to face.

However, he impressed with his poise and awareness early on, and after shaking off the nerves, which led to an interception and a few punts, he led the offense to their first touchdown of the game right before halftime, putting them behind just one score.

The rest of the game went almost as smoothly, with Maye adding two more touchdowns to his resume and leading the team in rushing yards. It was an early example of just how right the Patriots were to move on from Mac Jones and select Maye in the draft, proving even further a new era is set to begin in New England.

Drake Maye showed everything the Patriots hoped Mac Jones would be in one game

Fans, reporters, and even former players expressed hesitancy about Jerod Mayo's decision to start the rookie quarterback in his first game against an incredibly tough opponent, leading many to feel they should have waited a week or started him a week earlier.

Not only that, but the deteriorating offensive line gave many pause, and worries flooded social media about how Maye would fare if he were to be hit as much as Jacoby Brissett had through five games.

Fortunately, dealing with a less-than-ideal offensive line is nothing new for Maye, and he could maneuver around it much easier than his predecessor to extend plays with his legs or throw on the move. That mobility partly drew the Patriots to him through the draft process and what they liked about Mac Jones from the start. However, we didn't see much of that from him over the last two seasons, as his performance declined.

Maye displayed his talents in all 60 minutes of the game, highlighting his early chemistry with the team's leading receiver last season, DeMario Douglas, which led to his first touchdown reception of his career.

His coaches and teammates raved about his natural leadership and pose, and his performance brought hope for the future despite suffering another loss.

It was clear that Maye was able to bring the team together again after allegations suggested there was budding toxicity behind the scenes. He's already formed a solid reputation with his teammates and won them over and their respect, which was seriously lacking over the two years under Bill Belichick and Mac Jones.

The renewed sense of energy Mayo mentioned earlier in the week could be seen throughout the game, even in the more disappointing moments, which is all this team needs as they continue to navigate through a very difficult season.

The good thing is they're on the right track, and the future is bright with Maye under center.

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