Everything Drake Maye had to say about his poor performance in Patriots' latest loss

A sophomore season that ended with Drake Maye as the runner-up for the MVP Award was expected to set up the Patriots' quarterback for a Year 3 jump in 2026, even as the team faced a tougher schedule than in recent years.

That was apparent in a Super Bowl rematch to kick off the season; right away, it was clear Maye had struggles he needed to address, as he literally threw the game away for the Seahawks to win.

Those concerns about the quarterback have only gotten worse over the last two weeks, with his performance against the Jaguars possibly the most worrisome of all. He now has six interceptions this year, compared with eight last season, and those turnovers largely stem from poor decision-making and bad mechanics.

It has put the Patriots in an awkward position, as they firmly believe Maye is their franchise player, but they need to figure out what is causing his apparent regression sooner rather than later, or the current season will be a wash.

The quarterback had some explaining to do in his post-game presser, and although he still has to prove he can turn things around, he offered some insight into what might be driving his biggest issues.

Biggest takeaways from Drake Maye's post-game comments after Patriots' loss

Drake Maye on the wild fumble that led to a Jaguars recovery

The hottest topic among reporters after the game was Maye's turnovers. It's been part of his game and has plagued the team this year, and it seemed to get worse on Sunday in Jacksonville.

He admitted that the throw intended for Efton Chism was one he "shouldn't have thrown," but he also explained the nearly impossible fumble from early in the game. He said Jared Wilson had a bloody finger, which got on the football and caused it to fall out of his hand as he drew it back.

Maye acknowledged it wasn't an excuse, but it does provide some clarity on what looked like something you would only see in a movie.

Drake Maye on what's leading to his poor decisions and piling up of turnovers

Because his interceptions haven't been due to a fluky bobble, a receiver drop, or anything easily pointed out, Maye has had to do a lot of explaining about his performance so far, and for the most part, it seems like he's in his own head.

He confirmed the theory to reporters and admitted he needs to look in the mirror and get out of his own way, while taking responsibility for his bad performance.

"It's disappointing. The ball starts rolling like that, we can't get out of our own way - I can't get out of my own way personally. I've gotta look at myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point...what we're doing out there offensively is unacceptable; it's been unacceptable for three weeks. I've gotta start with myself."

His confidence is clearly shaken, and sometimes, that's worse than needing to fix physical parts of the game. We saw it from Mac Jones during his time with the Patriots, and it never resolved before he was traded.

Maye, by all accounts, is a better quarterback than Jones, but getting him out of this funk won't be easy. It's up to Mike Vrabel and Josh McDaniels to work some magic and bring out the player he was last year, but it's hard to pinpoint how they'll do that.

Drake Maye didn't emphatically shut down concerns about his shoulder injury from last season

Because people are trying to explain why Maye looks like a completely different quarterback this season, it's unsurprising to hear reporters ask whether he's dealing with any lingering effects from the shoulder injury he suffered last year.

That was one of the top questions after the game, and although he didn't say it was an issue, he also didn't say it wasn't.

That's not exactly the kind of explanation anyone was hoping to hear.

He may not be feeling 100% yet, which could be contributing to what we're seeing so far, but it feels more like bad decision-making and a lack of confidence than an inability to throw the ball properly. That hasn't been an issue whatsoever, which shuts down any concerns about his shoulder.

No matter what it is, Maye and the Patriots need to get it handled and figure out how to improve before the season is too far gone, even to play catch-up. While they are still a young team and weren't projected to be a legitimate contender for a few more years, they're coming off a season that ended in a Super Bowl, which they should've been able to build on.

They've done the complete opposite so far, much of that stemming from Maye's performance, and it's urgent they get it handled as soon as possible.

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