The New England Patriots started the 2025 season inauspiciously with an uninspiring loss to the Las Vegas Raiders at home. The former palace of champions under Tom Brady now presents little advantage for the home team at all.
The thought was that the new head guy, Mike Vrabel, would instantly instill a winning tradition for his revamped Patriot roster and new culture. It didn't work out that way in the first game. But the team has 16 more to get right.
Unfortunately, they travel to Miami, a house of horrors for the Patriots since time immemorial, to play the Dolphins in Week 2. The 'Phins aren't world beaters either, but when the silver and blue come to town, they play like the Brady-led Patriots used to every time.
After a lackluster performance against Las Vegas, there was disappointment in second-year quarterback Drake Maye, from whom a lot is expected, but maybe that was premature.
One major Boston analyst thinks it's too early to sour on Drake Maye
Boston fans change like the weather from game to game on how they feel about their sports teams. A sounder view is to allow a reconstructed team like the Patriots time to get accustomed to new coaches, a new culture, and a raft of new players, as well. All of this has to mesh, and that will be a challenge for all of the Patriots, including Maye.
Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald (subscription required) has a sound view and doesn't think Patriot Nation should be worried about Drake Maye yet.
"Week 1 is too early to be worried about Maye, but we can’t just assume that this giant leap is coming until we see it. Maye showed improvement during the spring over OTAs and minicamp. But there wasn’t an obvious upward trajectory during training camp and the preseason. And then Maye looked like, in some ways, a less dangerous version of himself from last year in Week 1.
We need to see serious growth from Maye during the course of this season ... One final thing: It makes sense that the Patriots want to protect Maye and keep him away from unnecessary hits, but if he’s already struggling with accuracy and decision making, taking away his explosive-play ability on the ground will only further hamper the offense. Maye can’t run on every play, but he also can’t be scared to take off."
Kyed's view is sensible. One game only represents 1/17th of a season. Last season, the 2024 Patriots beat a solid Cincinnati Bengals team in their first game. It had Patriot Nation floating on air, only to have the team fall right back to earth the rest of the season. They underwent their second consecutive last-place finish in the AFC East, and won just four games, the last a gift from a disinterested Buffalo Bills.
The Patriots have to use Drake Maye's dual-threat talent
Doug Kyed also raised a critically important point about Drake Maye's talents. He hints at what was obvious in the first game: Josh McDaniels didn't program the game plan to take advantage of Maye's inherent dual-threat capability. Maye needs to run some to create the threat of his running. That means a couple/of programmed runs, something that is not evident in McDaniels' playbook.
McDaniels wasn't the right choice for the Patriots' offensive coordinator because of that from the outset. He had little experience with dual-threat quarterbacks, and most of that was poor. The Las Vegas game was programmed for a Tom Brady type, not a Drake Maye. If that continues, the season will be toast before the team even has a chance to get untracked.
The game plan should have leaned on establishing the run, and that strategy should continue until his young offensive line matures. It may take a few games, but it's the right strategy, especially when they have Will Campbell to lead block. Run behind him.
Part of that strategy has to be implementing an RPO offense and letting Maye run when it makes sense. The threat of his running will open things up for everyone else. Rookie running back, speedster TreVeyon Henderson had a slow first game, but he will emerge as a threat when the offensive line rounds into shape, and Maye is also looked upon as a threat to run.
Meanwhile, adding electric rookie receiver Kyle Williams and catch-everything Efton Chism III to the receiving corps will also make the offense more explosive and effective. We'll see if McDaniels is astute enough to now tailor the offense to Maye's strengths. If not, and the lackluster 2024-like version of the offense persists, he may be on the outside looking in sooner rather than later.