The New England Patriots are soaring, and the entire NFL is taking notice of their brilliant young quarterback, Drake Maye. Yet, Maye's own actions could spell doom for a season that has gone from the doldrums of despair to expectations of glory in a month. He's putting himself in harm's way too often, and it has to stop.
An injury to Maye would be catastrophic to the Patriots' hopes for a season of success not seen around these parts since 2018, when Tom Brady was around. Maye has taken a mediocre offense and transformed it into a force seemingly overnight. His chances were greatly enhanced by Mike Vrabel, who improved his accompanying cast significantly, but it's been Maye who's made all the difference.
Yet, the greatest fear in Patriot Nation has to be that Maye will get injured. Quarterback injuries happen. It's an unfortunate part of the game that's not only game-changing but season-altering. If your top quarterback goes down for any length of time, you can forget any run for glory. And one thing that is absolutely not acceptable is that guy's putting himself in undue danger.
Drake Maye has to be more careful on the move and other times
Drake Maye's running is a great asset to the Patriots' offense. With an offensive line that's still developing and a poor running game, the pressure's on Maye to try to do it all himself at times. Yet, these are the times when it can be most dangerous for him.
As was seen against Tennessee, Maye took a hit, whacked his head on the turf, had his bell rung, and wound up in the medical tent. The breath went out of Patriot Nation like a bursting hot air balloon. The entire fanbase turned blue until Maye emerged from the tent and took the field again. He had a concussion last season, and recurring concussions are not a good thing for anyone's health.
Drake Maye must do several things to try to avoid getting slammed to the turf and sustaining either a head or other injury. It's not rocket science. But there's also an unconventional one he can do that's advisable.
The quarterback has to heed his Head Coach's advice
In the preseason, Mike Vrabel laid down the law to Drake Maye about taking unnecessary hits. It was a stern message, but he seems to have regressed in following that advice lately. He's taking some lumps that he shouldn't.
Fans might recall his costly pick in the end zone against Pittsburgh after he suffered a bell-ringer. There's little it didn't have an impact on that play. He has to make better decisions, like sliding early on a run or taking a sack, instead of getting slammed, if he's going to stay on the field and lead this team to wherever it's destined to go.
This is not to be too harsh on the player. Drake Maye is a competitor, which means he'll do anything to get his team a win. Yet, in the NFL, that can sometimes be counterproductive if you're not able to play because on a particular play(s) you didn't take a small setback to prevent a colossal one.
Maye has to heed Mike Vrabel's advice and play smarter while still leading this team to wins. And on a related matter, there is a mechanism that's designed to protect players from head injuries. It's called a Guardian Cap. It fits over your helmet and helps protect from head injuries. Some NFL players, including former Patriot Jabrill Peppers, already use it.
Maye would be smart to wear one (hello Mike Vrabel) since he's already been concussed in his career. And the NFL would be even smarter to require them for any player who's suffered a concussion. Guess they don't "look good". So what's more important, staying on the field, safeguarding your long-term health and your team's fortunes, or "looking good"? And yes, that's a rhetorical question. The answer is obvious.