Most teams would be concerned about their quarterback’s 283 rushing yards attracting extra defensive attention, but for the New England Patriots‘ Drake Maye, it’s an open invitation he hopes opponents will accept. The quarterback just dared the rest of the league to make a move he knows they’ll regret.

According to senior reporter Evan Lazar on X, Drake Maye isn’t worried about defenses spying on him to stop his runs. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers tried it in Week 10 by placing linebacker Lavonte David in the job. However, the QB warned that the strategy could backfire on other teams. Maye even shared some advice to David, urging that the opposing teams might not need a spy defender on him.

“I’m not that fast,” he said, stating the reason behind his request.

The QB further added that the strategy could, in turn, help the Patriots’ offense as it would take away one of the defenders from the coverage.

“It’s better for us,” he said, possibly ruining plans for the rest of the teams, which might be thinking of the same tactic as the Buccaneers.

Through 10 games, Maye has been impressive, proving he’s not just a passer but a real dual threat. He’s carried the ball 66 times for 283 yards, trailing only TreVeyon Henderson’s 430 on the ground.

Along with 19 touchdown passes, Maye has added two rushing scores and has moved the chains 21 times with his legs, showing how much his mobility adds to New England’s offense. And that’s what the opposing defenses need to limit. However, this doesn’t mean that Maye is taking this new defensive strategy lightly.

“But at the same time, you’ve got to be cognizant of the spier,” he said. “Know that he’s kind of near the line of scrimmage, so we kind of have to have a guy there to block him. You gotta have eyes on him and be mindful of what they’re doing with games up front, to know they could bait you into something. That’s really the biggest thing.”

Maye’s mental preparedness extends beyond defensive schemes and into the physical elements of the game, as the team gets ready for the cold weather, as the Patriots are already practicing in such conditions. In fact, head coach Mike Vrabel offered to hold practice indoors, but the team chose to practice outside.

“Good to get used to playing in that weather,” Maye said. “It’s just part of playing up here and making it something that was important for us to get out there and embrace being in this weather. I think it’s good to be able to practice in it. I think it’s an advantage.”

This might help the Patriots when they host the New York Jets in the slightly colder weather at Gillette Stadium on Thursday, November 13, at 8:15 p.m. ET. And it’s not just the weather. The Patriots have also adjusted their roster before Week 11.

Drake Maye’s Patriots re-signed running back Jonathan Ward

As per Mike Reiss, the Patriots re-signed running back Jonathan Ward to their practice squad. The 28-year-old has bounced around the league over the years, carving out a journeyman career. The Patriots signed him to their practice squad on October 28, 2025, but released him just a week later on November 4.

The 5-foot-11, 202-pound running back has worn quite a few jerseys from the Cardinals and Jets to the Titans, Steelers, and most recently, the Giants. He entered the NFL in 2020 as an undrafted rookie out of Central Michigan. Since then, he’s played in 47 games, totaling 91 rushing yards on 22 carries, 52 receiving yards on six catches, and one touchdown.

To make space for the RB, the team decided to part ways with wide receiver Brenden Rice (son of Jerry Rice). This move was possibly made due to the injury concerns with running backs Rhamondre Stevenson (toe) and Terrell Jennings (knee).

After sustaining the toe injury in Week 8, Stevenson wasn’t on the Injured Reserve. However, he missed the games in the last few weeks. In his absence, TreVeyon Henderson stepped up. However, Stevenson is expected to return to the field this season. But there has been no update on the time of his return, although he was seen doing light exercises during practice.

The same goes for Jennings, who saw limited action during practice. As for now, the team’s focus will be to lead the team with the help they get from Henderson, running back D’Ernest Johnson, and the rest of the RB squad.