Drake Maye sent a clear message to Cam Newton before Patriots' Week 12 win

So far this season, the conversation surrounding Drake Maye and the New England Patriots has been varied, as it has depended heavily on who's doing the talking. For the most part, they have been praised for their performance, which has now led to a shocking 10-2 record, but the doubters have come out in full force, with one of the most vocal being Cam Newton.

The newest co-host on ESPN's "First Take" hasn't minced words in his critiquing of his former team and the second-year quarterback. He's gone so far as to claim that the Patriots are "fool's gold" and will be "one and done" in the playoffs, no matter where they're seeded.

But he's also had pointed things to say about Maye, consistently downplaying the kind of season he's been having, and has now created even more enemies in New England because of it.

Despite knowing how much of a fan Maye was of his growing up as a Panthers fan, Newton hasn't backed down from his harsh critiques, which heightened in the days leading up to their most recent game against the Bengals on Sunday.

It appears to have taken a toll on Maye, as was noticeable ahead of the Week 12 matchup, and it's hard not to speculate on why he might have changed his pregame ritual.

Drake Maye shrugs off Cam Newton's criticism in the best way possible

A moment before the game with WR Stefon Diggs, NFL cameras caught the pair working on their handshake, as they usually do in warmups.

This time was different, however, as Diggs performed the Superman pose that Newton was famous for, something Maye did when he scored a touchdown against the Panthers earlier in the season, but he visibly declined the gesture and passed on honoring Newton during the handshake.

Given the lengths that Newton and even Stephen A. Smith have gone in recent weeks to talk down about Maye and the Patriots, it's unsurprising to see the young quarterback decide not to continue with what had been part of his usual handshake with Diggs.

It's an unfortunate part of the NFL that is often overlooked. While everyone has an opinion and talk shows need to have some drama for viewers and ratings, they also say a lot of untrue things or take their criticism too far, and that would be a fair statement to make about what Newton and Co. have said about this year's team.

Fortunately, Maye didn't let much impact him in Sunday's game, which could have been a lot worse, since they just barely scraped out the win in Cincinnati.

But they are now going into their Week 13 matchup against the Giants on primetime, with the best record in the NFL, currently sitting atop the AFC playoff picture, and will hopefully add another win to their season at home next Monday night.