One area of concern that the Patriots had with Drake Maye during his rookie season was his penchant for turnovers. It was the one small cloud in New England's preseason opening win over Washington, with Maye trying to do too much while being sacked, resulting in a fumble.
It even led to head coach Mike Vrabel calling out his quarterback during a halftime interview with Steve Burton, another sign of Vrabel's no-nonsense approach. Even though New England's defense didn't surrender a yard and the Commanders missed a field goal, Maye knows that he has to clean that up, but fortunately, it's only the preseason.
"We'll continue to work at it every day, every week. Keep learning from it. These guys want to get better and there's a lot of football talk around the locker room. That's what you like to see," Maye said after the game.
Maye's attitude is a good reflection of his growth, and could be a sign that the early mistakes are nothing more than an illusion.
Patriots' fans shouldn't be worried about Drake Maye's preseason mistakes
The preseason is the preseason for a reason. We also have to remember that Maye has nearly a completely different cast of playmakers around him that he's focused on developing chemistry with. Offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has been encouraged by Maye's growth.
"He works extremely hard every day to be prepared for each practice. He's a quick learner, that's for sure," McDaniels told CBS Sports' Matt Geagan.
Maye's ability to run was a big positive that the Patriots can take away from the first preseason game, as his touchdown came on a third-down scramble. And it wasn't a situation where he had to escape, as Maye had a clean pocket, clearly saw that nobody was open, and took advantage of a wide-open alley. That's a sign of growth. Most young quarterbacks would force the ball into coverage.
You also have to remember that the turnovers in practice are a result of playing against what the Patriots expect to be a stalwart defense. That's a small factor that will help Maye clean that stuff up once the games count for real.
Turnovers in practice happen. Turnovers in preseason games are an extension of practice. Patriots' fans shouldn't be up in arms about this. When the Patriots kick off the regular season, Maye will be just fine.