While the Patriots have won just three games this year, rookie quarterback Drake Maye has shown flashes of his talent in his nine starts over the last few months.
But given New England’s current 3-11 record, there have been questions bout head coach Jerod Mayo’s job security heading into the season’s last three weeks.
Maye was asked about that in his Wednesday press conference and strongly backed his head coach.
“It’s his first year being a head coach. It’s a tough challenge,” Maye said, via Nick Goss of NBCSportsBoston.com. “It’s a lot of responsibility being the quarterback, same as head coach. It’s a lot of responsibility. He’s figuring it out.
“As players, we’re behind him and we’re backing him. We trust the plan he’s got for us and we trust what he says in the team meeting rooms and all the little sayings that he has. We believe in it and we’re bought into it. I think the results are coming. I think they’re coming. Everyone wishes they were now. We’re striving for that, but sometimes it doesn’t work out that way. The winning is coming in the near future.”
Maye was similarly supportive of Alex Van Pelt, saying he “100 percent” backs his offensive coordinator.
“What he’s done for my development, just a quarterback-friendly offensive coordinator, you want that in the room,” Maye said. “He’ll coach you up and coach you hard, and let you know when my part of the job and the play isn’t done right. He’ll be the first one to let me know, but he’s also the first one to pump me up. He’s been awesome and huge for me. Him and T.C. [QBs coach T.C. McCartney] both have been awesome. I can’t say enough about those guys.”
Maye has completed 68.5 percent of his passes for 1,898 yards with 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions this season, also rushing for 359 yards with two TDs.
