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Stock Report: Drake Maye Heroics Not Enough to Top Titans in Overtime Loss

Drake Maye put the Patriots on his back in an up-and-down performance, but it wasn't enough to get New England an overtime win.
Taylor KylesBy 7 Mins Read

The Patriots dropped their second overtime effort of the season in a 20-17 road loss to the Titans.

Rookie quarterback Drake Maye showed why the team picked him third overall with several eye-popping plays, but New England’s margin for error remains razor-thin due to their inability to win up front.

Jerod Mayo praised his team’s resilience but acknowledged the difficulties created by poor trench play on both sides of the ball.

“Have to be able to run the football, obviously that was disappointing,” Mayo said during his postgame presser. “I think Drake (Maye) was probably our leading rusher today. You never really want your quarterback to be your leading rusher, and that’s in all facets. We’ve got to be able to move guys off the line.”

The head coach also touched on what he called “leaky” run defense, pointing to poor tackling as the group’s biggest issue.

No one should be surprised that the Patriots are struggling, particularly with several key players out indefinitely, but their lack of growth in key areas is concerning. And unfortunately for New England, they are running out of winnable games.

Here’s whose stock is on the rise and whose is on the decline following New England’s defeat in Tennessee.

STOCK UP

Drake Maye

Maye was far from perfect in Tennessee. He committed at least four turnover-worthy plays, including a game-sealing interception that the quarterback called “a dumb decision.” That said, his dynamic athleticism was one of the only reasons New England had a chance to win.

Maye led the Patriots in rushing for the third straight game that he played from start to finish, with all of those runs coming on scrambles. He also pulled off one of the craziest plays I’ve ever seen to help force overtime.

Though New England’s locker room was understandably glum after the loss, teammates beamed when asked about their rookie signal-caller. Maye drew high praise from several veterans, including players on the other side of the ball.

“He looks amazing. I love watching him on the sideline,” nose tackle Davon Godchaux told reporters. “I tell the guys all the time that he plays like Josh Allen 2.0. I played Josh Allen in Miami his rookie year, and he didn’t look that good, and Josh Allen is a phenomenal player now. MVP-type player. Drake looks better than Josh did his rookie year.”

“That guy is special,” tight end Hunter Henry said during his postgame presser. “Just the way he competes, the way he plays, the way he continues to fight. I’m excited to continue to go out there and play with him. He’s very special. Got a lot of talent and will only continue to get better… Proud of him, proud of his fight.”

The Patriots have been tough to watch this season, which could continue as their schedule gets significantly more difficult down the stretch. Fortunately for fans, Maye stands out as a shining beacon of hope for the franchise’s future.

Hunter Henry

Mr. Reliable continues to be one of the few consistent cogs in New England’s offense.

Henry caught seven of his eight targets for a team-high 56 yards, and the incompletion was a strong effort on a deep shot. The tight end’s best grabs included a 3rd down catch that set up a Joey Slye field goal and a 4th down conversion on New England’s final scoring drive.

Henry briefly left the game after taking a low hit, but he told reporters the injury was minor and that he’s alright. His status this week will still warrant monitoring, but it appears the offense dodged a bullet.

DeMario Douglas

Douglas’s game was modest statistically, with just 35 yards on seven catches, but his impact went beyond the stat line.

The slot receiver’s one-handed downfield grab was one of the offense’s only explosive plays, and it helped spark New England’s first touchdown drive. It also may have been the most impressive catch of his young career.

Douglas also drew coverage on Henry’s 4th down conversion near the end of regulation. It will be interesting to see how often he was open without being targeted, but the spark plug made his presence felt in big moments.

Marcus Jones

Jones ripped off two big returns against the Titans, adding to what’s been an excellent season for the versatile speedster.

The first, a 44-yard momentum swing, was later nullified by a Maye interception. Marco Wilson, Marcellas Dial, and Isaiah Bolden also deserved credit for throwing key blocks to get Jones started.

The second big return was a 25-yard gain that helped set up New England’s final touchdown drive. Tennessee’s kicking to Jones in a critical situation was a head-scratcher, but he showed why he’s one of the best in the business by making them pay for the mistake. He also recorded a tackle for loss and had a quiet day in coverage.

Jahlani Tavai

Jahlani Tavai is beginning to string positive performances together.

The linebacker recorded a team-high 11 combined tackles and was consistently disruptive on blitzes. He also blew up a screen for a five-yard loss, broke up a pass, and capitalized on a tipped ball to force a turnover in scoring territory.

The defense’s inability to stop the run may reflect poorly on Tavai upon further review, but while watching live, the linebacker seemed like a net positive.

STOCK DOWN

Offensive Line

The decision to start Layden Robinson at right guard was an odd one, especially with Jeffery Simmons on the other side of the line. The rookie struggled mightily early on against Jefferson, allowing a quick pressure and being called for a hold. Robinson was benched midway through the 2nd quarter, which led to Mike Onwenu kicking back inside with Demontrey Jacobs taking over at right tackle.

“We felt like we needed to match up with one of their best players,” Mayo said after the game. “Again, when you watch the film, you’re going to see the interior of the pocket at times was soft. And I thought putting our best player in there was the best thing to do for the team.”

The line’s woes didn’t end with Robinson, though. Pressure was consistent throughout the game, with center Ben Brown being called for two holds and understandably struggling in his own matchups against Simmons. Arden Key also recorded a strip sack against Vederian Lowe.

As much as the line struggled to protect their quarterback, things were even uglier when the Patriots tried to run. For the third week in a row, their ground game was virtually nonexistent. Rhamondre Stevenson, Antonio Gibson, and JaMycal Hasty combined for 15 yards on 12 carries.

“I don’t know. That’s above my pay grade,” Stevenson said when asked about the run game’s struggles. “Just let the coaching staff handle it.”

Stevenson ran hard all game, but was given minimal room to work with by his front. While it’s easy to critique play-calling, and there were some certainly some questionable decisions near the end of the first half, it’s tough to succeed in the NFL being one-dimensional. And unfortunately, I’m not sure where the Patriots turn for answers.

Run Defense

New England’s defense gave up 167 yards to the Titans’ run game, marking the seventh straight game they’ve surrendered at least 100 yards on the ground.

“Defensively, again, leaky run defense,” Mayo said after the game. “There were times where it goes back to fundamentals. We spend a lot of time talking about the X’s and O’s, but I thought the tackling still needs to improve. That’s part of it.”

Tennessee seemed to get chunks of yards whenever they needed them, and the Patriots looked gassed as Tony Pollard delivered body blow after body blow in overtime. A botched snap stopped the bleeding and prevented a potential touchdown, but the run defense continues to be a glaring issue for New England.

Bryce Baringer

Baringer shanked two punts of his four punts, including one that traveled just 15 yards. Can’t have that from one of your most dependable players.

Ja’Lynn Polk

The rookie was penalized twice despite playing just nine snaps. Polk is talented, and he has the talent to play in the NFL, but I think he would benefit from some time on the bench.

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Taylor Kyles is the lead NFL Analyst for CLNS Media covering players, schemes, and tendencies through a New England Patriots-centric lens.

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