Patriots’ Josh McDaniels Sends Drake Maye Message After Loss to Raiders
Despite a solid start to the game, Drake Maye and the New England Patriots lost to the Las Vegas Raiders at home during Week 1 by a score of 20-13. Though the Patriots scored a first-quarter touchdown, they scored just six points the rest of the way, including only three in the second half.
Though the season is still young, and New England will have plenty of time to turn things around, this is a disappointing result for fans, who have their highest expectations of the team in a few years.
Following the team's loss, many have questioned Maye's ability to elevate the Patriots, with some wondering what his future could look like. On Thursday, offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels sent a direct message about the 23-year-old and made his stance on him crystal clear.
Josh McDaniels Still Has High Hopes for Drake Maye
Despite the criticism he is facing, it seems that the Patriots organization still believes in Maye. Recently, McDaniels came to the defense of last year's third overall draft pick and made it clear that the team still believes he can succeed in the NFL.
“No. No. We haven't given him any more than what we’ve given him all year, which is not too much. We have to understand it's his first game in our system," McDaniels said about whether Maye has too much on his plate.
"I'm focused really on the process of him getting better every day... It's got to be a long-term vision of where this guy's gonna be. He's gonna be a really good player."
McDaniels, who returned as the Patriots' offensive coordinator after a brief coaching stint with the Raiders from 2022 to 2023, will hope to get the best out of Maye and continue to develop him.
Furthermore, the Ohio native also took his praise of Maye one step further, calling him "the right guy" for the team.
"The biggest thing for me is he's a young quarterback. … He's the right guy," McDaniels said about Maye.
Maye's next opportunity to prove his critics wrong will be during New England's Week 2 matchup against the Miami Dolphins, who also lost their first game of the season. As the North Carolina native looks to find his footing in the league, fans are hoping to see him look much more comfortable on the field and lead the Patriots to their first win of the season.
TE Cade Otton could miss Bucs opener with a leg injury
The Buccaneers are expected to be without left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Chris Godwin in Week 1, but the offensive absences against the Falcons may not be stopping there.
Head coach Todd Bowles told reporters on Wednesday that tight end Cade Otton is also at risk of missing the game. Otton dealt with a hamstring injury this summer and he now has another lower body issue.
“He is sore,” Bowles said, via the team’s website. “He has another leg injury in addition to that [hamstring], so he will be out a little bit.”
Payne Durham, Devin Culp, and Ko Kieft are the other tight ends on the 53-man roster.
