An unexpected physical mishap derailed the New England Patriots early during Sunday’s 35-6 blowout loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. On New England’s second drive of a scoreless first quarter, center Jared Wilson suffered a cut that left his hand bleeding before the snap, transferring fresh blood directly onto the football. When quarterback Drake Maye dropped back with zero pass rush to throw deep, the slick ball slipped cleanly out of his grip untouched, allowing DaVon Hamilton to recover.
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While onlookers questioned if he had suffered an arm injury, Drake Maye quickly dismissed any shoulder issues, pointing directly to Wilson’s blood on the leather. Before he could throw, the ball slipped backward out of his grip, allowing Jaguars defensive tackle DaVon Hamilton to recover the fumble.
“Drake Maye said Jared Wilson was bleeding and there was blood on the football. That’s why it slipped out of his hand,” MassLive reporter Mark Daniels posted Drake Maye’s reasoning on X.
He did, however, conclude his feelings on the incident by stating, “At the same time, I have to hold on to the football.”
Even with Wilson’s blood making the ball slippery, Maye refused to use it as an excuse for the giveaway. He admitted that ball security remains his responsibility on every snap.
“It’s disappointing. The ball starts rolling that way, we can’t get out of our own way, and I can’t get out of my own way personally — I have to look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point,” he said.
The bloody fumble was just one piece of a tough afternoon for Maye in Jacksonville. Right before halftime, Maye threw an INT to Jacksonville rookie Travis Hunter in the back of the end zone. Later, Jaguars CB Jarrian Jones picked him off yet again. Drake Maye finished the night with 14/25 completed passes for 199 passing yards, 0 TDs, and 3 costly turnovers. That now takes his season total to 7 turnovers, 6 INTs (highest in the NFL), and ONLY 1 TD. He could only manage an extremely poor 48.6 passer rating against the Jaguars.
With the Patriots trailing by 29 points late in the fourth quarter, head coach Mike Vrabel pulled Maye from the game and inserted backup quarterback Tommy DeVito to close it out.
The head coach also owned up to New England’s ongoing offensive struggles during his postgame press conference, calling the unit’s play unacceptable.
“We haven’t made good decisions with the football. We have to get it fixed,” Vrabel said. “And everybody else has to do much better, starting with me.”