It has been a hot minute since the Patriots have been able to get creative on offense, but now that they have Drake Maye in at quarterback and Josh McDaniels back as the offensive coordinator, the possibilities could be endless. While the UNC alum has a stature similar to Tom Brady, he's far more mobile than the GOAT ever was, opening the door for McDaniels to utilize plays we've never seen before.
On top of that, the fact that Maye is consistently compared to the likes of Josh Allen, there's a good chance we will see more Bills-esque plays incorporated into this year's offense, which might include the apparently controversial tush push that the Eagles have made famous recently.
The Patriots were among the teams that voted to keep the play legal for the 2025 season last month, which could be a result of wanting to test it out with the offense they hope to put forth for the upcoming season. McDaniels demonstrated his willingness to do so during the 2020 season with Newton, which proved beneficial in keeping the team's chances alive.
That's a reason for Moe Moton of Bleacher Report to consider the Patriots' use of the tush push this year, as he views them as one of five teams in the league that could benefit from the play remaining legal.
Drake Maye's presence with Josh McDaniels' playcalling could make the Patriots offense much more lethal in 2025
Historically, the Patriots have not been a team known for having a quarterback capable of pulling off big plays on the ground, as Brady was not a fast runner and only reached 1,000 yards rushing near the end of his career.
Now that Maye has proven to have the wheels to extend plays and the body type to withstand some tougher hits, Moton believes the Patriots are among the five teams, besides the Eagles, who should consider using the tush push this year, especially since they have the personnel to execute it efficiently.
"In body type, the North Carolina product looks like a slimmer version of Josh Allen. At his size, he can move on the ground. Last year, Maye recorded 54 carries for 421 yards and two touchdowns, with 22 rush attempts for first downs.
New England drafted TreVeyon Henderson in the second round, but he's more of a home run threat than a grinder equipped to rack up a ton of yards between the tackles and move the pile near the goal line. Because of Rhamondre Stevenson's past issues with fumbles, Maye could be the team's most effective option in short-yardage situations."
Considering how successful the play was for Philadelphia since drafting quarterback Jalen Hurts, and seeing how effective it was against one of the best teams in the league in this past year's Super Bowl, it would be foolish for McDaniels to leave the tush push off their offensive playbook.
It almost feels inevitable to become part of their repertoire, given the likelihood that they'll roster a fullback again this year to add more help on the offensive line, plus Henderson's blocking, which will provide even more assistance in making a successful tush push play.
McDaniels is known for bringing out the trick plays and creativity, which is expected to be the case again this year after spending time with several colleges since he was fired by the Raiders in 2023. Adding something like the tush push would elevate the offense's game even more.