Patriots players didn’t hold back their praise for rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s game-tying touchdown pass on the final play of regulation against the Titans on Sunday.
Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne called Maye “just phenomenal” and tight end Hunter Henry called the first-round pick “special,” but Maye was less effusive when it was his turn to talk about the throw to Rhamondre Stevenson. Maye scrambled for nearly 12 seconds before delivering the pass while falling to the ground, but said in his postgame press conference that it “really doesn’t matter” because the Patriots wound up losing in overtime.
The final play of the loss was an interception by Titans safety Amani Hooker on a deep throw by Maye and the rookie lamented that choice after the game.
“Yeah, first down and I see the safety, and I think throwing into the wind I got to put some more on it and just a dumb decision,” Maye said, via a transcript from the team. “Something you’d like to have back and especially in that situation where we could go at least tie it up. We’re, like I said, on our own 40 and, you know, sometimes the best play is to throw it away and that was a bad decision on my part.”
Maye didn’t get the result he wanted, but his effort to tie the game and his 95 rushing yards on eight carries were the latest reasons for the Patriots to feel good about what they will be able to do in the future with Maye running their offense.
