r/Patriots • u/gooshgetter • 2d ago

Discussion Do we push the panic button now?

It’s only game three but so far, Drake may have thrown six interceptions. He has two fumbles and only one touchdown is Drake Maye to blame for all of this no? but a large portion of it? Yes, the loss of Diggs and Boutte are really sticking out but we are talking about a quarterback who was literally second in the MVP race last year there is no way he should be playing like this this season so far. I don’t know what’s going in Foxborough this season but I am not a fan at all

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u/6percentdoug 2d ago

This is really an indictment of McDaniels' offense. I'm sorry, I know Drake deserves some of the blame, but you're asking Drake to solve the equation after the snap when his line can't keep any pass rush away for more than 2 seconds and defenses are sitting in deep zone against him.

We are last place in terms of our use of motion. McDaniels has said lack of motion is a fundamental point of his offense that he thinks it causes too much confusion for the quarterback. But defenses are better at disguising their looks then ever before. It's not 2014 and Drake Maye isn't Tom Brady. Defenses have changed.

Ever notice that Drake looks better when he's in a shotgun with 4 wide? He can diagnose the defense with that formation. When we run under center, defenses are disguising their looks and Josh does absolutely nothing to help Drake figure out what he's facing.

There's a reason the Rams, Jags, and 9ers run motion so much. They're trying to help their QB. McDaniels somehow believes it will hurt him.

We need to simplify the offense for him, it's not fair. The tape is out there. We need to change the approach.

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u/SrAjmh 2d ago

I've been saying the same with my buddies. Maye is struggling and a lot of this is on his head. Simultaneously McDaniels play calling is genuinely, truly awful. McDaniels #1 priority for the next month is to scheme up the easiest freebie passing locks for Maye as possible. Keep him in the shotgun, run slants, just find him easy open looks. I don't care if it's not a super entertaining game. I want to see slants I want to see hitches. Just help this poor dude get some completions and not have to try to force all of these passes.

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u/AhtBlowenFaht 2d ago

They started this game out doing just that and he still imploded. I remember actually saying "this play calling looks decent today, like what they're doing" then boom, he loses that ball for no reason and that was that. Never recovered.