“I’m starting to really find a stride,” Maye said. “It’s all the same concepts in the league, but it’s different words, different verbiage. It’s mostly the same guys running [routes], but just feeling out how they run it and timing when you get into different concepts. It’s been good.”
On Monday, Maye was efficient, with only a few balls hitting the ground. During an early team period, the Pats QB repped from under center with a deep drop synced to a route on the outside by WR Kayshon Boutte. Maye threw an anticipatory pass where the ball left his hand before Boutte broke on his route, with the Pats wideout sitting down in front of the coverage perfectly as the ball hit him between the numbers on his chest. From this perspective, it’s timing routes like the Maye-to-Boutte connection that signal positive momentum for the offense.
Then, the Patriots moved inside the 20-yard line for the first red-zone work in front of the media this spring and it made for a great back-and-forth against the defense. Maye connected on touchdowns to RB TreVeyon Henderson (angle route), DeMario Douglas (juke route), and hit WR Kendrick Bourne in the back of the end zone for another score on a late-in-the-down read. Maye was moving through his progressions and finding matchups, with Henderson and Douglas working on linebackers between the numbers, which is a staple of McDaniels’s scheme.
“Coach [McDaniels] does a great job of getting guys in matchups and letting them win. I’m looking forward to doing that. I have to do my part of getting guys lined up, playing the right side [of the field], and just doing my part of taking what’s open,” Maye said.
Along with his play on the field, Maye is emerging as a leader for the Patriots. As head coach Mike Vrabel said, it’s unique for a second-year player to take on a leadership role on a football team, but that’s the nature of being the starting quarterback in this sport and in the NFL.
“It’s a unique position being 22 [years old]. There’s a lot of natural leadership qualities. I have to encourage him, continue to encourage him and to put him in those positions to do that so that the players understand that there’s a different version of all of us. There’s one that’s maybe off the field, there’s one in the meeting room, and then there’s a version on the field, which we all have to understand is somewhat different than what it may be off the field,” Vrabel said before practice.
On finding his voice as a leader for the Patriots, Maye said he views it as an opportunity to “take a jump” from his rookie season to year two.
“Last year, being a rookie, trying to come in here and earn my stripes, earn my keep through hard work. This year, it’s the same approach. We have new guys in here, new staff. I have to keep getting to know everybody and show my work ethic. From there, try to take the next step in leadership and leading the offense,” Maye explained.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
