Drake

Maye

Maye averaged a healthy 7.9 yards per attempt and consistently picked up chunk gains through the air and on the ground. He added an additional 59 yards on five carries. The interception was in no way his fault. Hunter Henry, while in the end zone, bobbled the football into the air for a waiting Colts defender for what is an interception in name only. The sack-taking was still an issue for Maye as the Colts brought him down four times. Maye and the Pats get their bye in Week 14 and then face the Cardinals for the first round of the fantasy playoffs. Maye will sit near the top of the QB2 ranks coming out of the bye.

Much of the discussion will center on how poorly the offensive line played, and that’s true, but Maye also struggled to identify pressure in the pocket and missed receivers over the middle of the field a handful of times in the first half. Maye has shown good athleticism out of the pocket and did hit a wide-open Austin Hooper for a touchdown while rolling out, but this game was far more bad than good. Of note, Maye tied an NFL record for starting his career with 10 touchdown passes to 10 different receivers, which speaks volumes to the lack of star power in this Patriots receiving corps.

The rookie added three carries for 27 yards, also losing a fumble. It was the second time in three weeks Maye was called upon for 40-plus attempts. On the one hand, it’s great that the Patriots’ coaching staff has that much trust in the rookie. On the other, it’s not so great when your “top weapons” are Hunter Henry and sometimes Pop Douglas, sometimes Kendrick Bourne. Maye did spread the ball around, finding a whopping six different pass catchers for at least four grabs. His decision-making wasn’t always great, but it was more from a “when not to take a hit” perspective. As a passer, Maye is processing quickly for a first-year starter. The positives are vastly outweighing the negatives. He simply has to do a better job protecting himself. A Dolphins road trip is on tap for Week 12.

Maye won the battle of first-round rookie quarterbacks, throwing the sole touchdown of the game against the Bears. He threw an interception in the first quarter, making a poor throw right to Bears LB T.J. Edwards, and another near pick in the third quarter dropped by Bears DB Kevin Byard. Maye flashed his mobility with four carries for 24 yards and several scrambles to try to salvage plays outside the pocket. His touchdown pass was a two-yard toss to Ja’Lynn Polk in the second quarter, primarily hitting short throws throughout the game and a few deep passes to Austin Hooper and Kayshon Boutte. Maye’s dual-threat ability give him high-end QB2 upside against the Rams in Week 11.

Maye showed off some dual-threat ability; particularly on a 26-yard gain early in the contest. He also showed that his decision making is still very much a work in progress with a few throws into contested coverage including a pick early in the contest. The rookie also lost a costly fumble that set up a go-ahead touchdown for the Titans, but he was able to lead the Patriots on a game-tying touchdown that concluded with a last-second touchdown find to Rhamondre Stevenson. He got another chance in overtime, but he overthrew anyone and everyone for a pick by Amani Hooker; Hooker’s second pick of the game. Maye offers some interesting upside because he basically has to run, but he’s a risky option in Week 11 against the Bears.

Maye suffered the head injury in the team’s Week 8 contest but eventually gained clearance after a week of limited sessions. Maye and the Patriots are set up well to be competitive against a Titans team ravaged by injuries in Week 9.

It is “possible” that Maye is ready for Sunday, Mayo said, but our speculation is that it seems unlikely if Maye doesn’t fully clear protocol today. If Maye sits, Jacoby Brissett would start and be a weak superflex play against the Titans. New England simply shouldn’t be in any rush to get Maye back if there’s any question of his health given their place in the standings. Maye is officially questionable to play.

Maye has been limited in each of the Patriots’ practices to start the week, and it sounds as if he’s trending toward playing in Week 9 against the Titans. Whether or not he plays still comes down to him being cleared by an independent neurologist, but he should have a chance to get cleared before the weekend. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said on Thursday that he was “very hopeful” Maye would be ready for Week 9, so we’ll see what happens when Friday’s final report is released.

Van Pelt wouldn’t dive into Maye’s progression through the league’s concussion protocol, leaving us little to go on for the time being. Maye was concussed in Week 8’s win over the Patriots and did not practice on Wednesday. While Van Pelt remains hopeful, it’s not uncommon to see recently concussed players miss their team’s game the following week. We’ll see if Maye can get on the field Thursday, but there’s a good chance we are looking at another Jacoby Brissett start in Week 9.

Maye left Week 8’s game against the Jets with a concussion and did not return. His ability to practice in a limited capacity early in the week is a good sign but he must still pass through the concussion protocol symptom-free. Jacoby Brissett will draw the start in Week 9 against the Titans if Maye is unable to play. Brissett peaked at 168 passing yards in his five starts to open the year. No Patriots receiver can be trusted for fantasy purposes with Maye out of the lineup.