When you have a second-year quarterback, asking him to throw 46 passes is a strategy that can often lead to failure. That's how many passes Drake Maye threw on Sunday in the New England Patriots' 20-13 Week One loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium.
This is not an offense built to have the quarterback throw close to 50 passes in a game. The Patriots have to be efficient in both the run and the passing game, and they weren't on Sunday. Sixty yards rushing and an average of 3.3 yards per carry between Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson, and Antonio Gibson is not going to cut it.
Yes, Maye did make some good throws, but some of the issues that have plagued the Patriots the last few seasons ultimately sealed their doom on Sunday, and it shows that the team has a lot to clean up after years of poor drafting and free-agent signings.
Biggest questions the Patriots need to answer after Week 1 loss
1. Where's the running game?
Henderson (5 carries, 27 yards) was New England's leading rusher on Sunday, and for all the talent and game-breaking speed that the rookie has, that's an issue. Stevenson was abysmal, compiling 15 yards on seven carries and might as well have been on a milk carton.
Going forward, the Patriots need to run the ball better. Mike Vrabel has been billed as a physical coach who likes to establish the line of scrimmage, and too much weight was put on Maye's shoulders. Granted, the Patriots fell behind early, but there was plenty of time to establish the run.
2. The mental fortitude has to be better
The Patriots' offense had shown some consistency for a while, and they were moving the ball well coming out of halftime, leading 10-7. But Maye's third-quarter interception deflated the offense, and four of New England's last five possessions ended in punts.
The play-calling turned vanilla and appeared to set up Maye to not make mistakes rather than play to win the game. Part of a quarterback's growth is moving on from mistakes quickly, and Maye grew timid.
Pressure from Maxx Crosby didn't help on the play, as with a clean pocket, Maye probably would've been able to hit Stefon Diggs down the seam. However, the pass rush forced Maye to rush his throw, and he was skittish after that.
3. Can the defense not give up backbreaking plays?
The Patriots spent a lot of money upgrading their defense this offseason, and while it didn't help that Christian Gonzalez was out with an injury, New England made Geno Smith look like Joe Montana at times.
Harold Landry's 2.5 sacks were a bright spot, but a busted coverage on a 3rd-and-long ultimately led to the field goal that allowed Las Vegas to put the game away. Maybe if Jabrill Peppers were stlll in a Patriots' uniform, that mistake doesn't happen on the back end.
The Patriots won't like the result if that happens next week in Miami with Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle running all over the place.
If opposing quarterbacks - even the middle-of-the-road ones like Smith - can throw for 360-plus yards on a game-by-game basis, it could be a long year for the secondary. The Patriots need Gonzalez back on the field, and fast.