A single no-call nearly derailed Drake Maye’s fourth-quarter comeback against the Ravens, and the Patriots‘ QB is already tired of it. The QB may have added a fourth-quarter comeback victory to his resume, but there is no thanking the referees for that. Perhaps that’s why Drake Maye already wants to switch to his darker side. 

“I think there’s come a time down the road I can see myself kind of switching the switch and flipping the page to a little darker side with some refs,” Maye said on WEEI Afternoons. “It was pretty close last night. But I just try to move on to the next play because there’s nothing we can do about it after it happens.”

The 23-year-old was referring to the Patriots’ Week 16 game against the Baltimore Ravens. In the fourth quarter, the QB made a deep pass to wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, who ended up being tackled to the ground by Baltimore’s CB Marlon Humphrey. As Boutte failed to catch the ball with Humphrey’s hands grabbing his waist, the pass became incomplete. It was a clear pass interference. Yet, the referees took no action. 

Maye clarified that ‘darker side’ doesn’t mean becoming hostile with the refs, but rather compelling them to do their job “at the high level.”

Head coach Mike Vrabel also addressed the controversy, albeit sternly, during the post-game press conference. He was asked whether he received any explanation from the officials for not calling the pass interference on Humphrey. 

“No. Here’s the explanation that I got, ‘You have to survive the ground,’” said Vrabel. “I said, ‘I’m very aware of the catch rule.’ But that’s all I got. 

 As disputable as the refs’ decision may be, the Patriots pulled through in the game. Maye connected with Stefon Diggs for a 21-yard score on fourth-and-2, followed by Rhamondre Stevenson’s 21-yard rushing TD, which brought the team a well-deserved 28-24 win. This Week 16 win confirmed the Patriots’ playoff berth, and as a bonus Christmas present, Maye was selected for his first Pro Bowl. Unfortunately, he wasn’t too impressed. 

Drake Maye downplays his Pro Bowl selection

The second-year quarterback seems to be enjoying his breakout season with second-best MVP Odds, playoff berth, and now, a Pro Bowl selection. Though the quarterback himself didn’t address the feat, his teammate, Andrew Callahan, shared the QB’s mindset about the AFC Pro Bowl selection. 

“He doesn’t really care about the accolades. He truly doesn’t. It’s not just a schtick,” Callahan told the Boston Herald. 

Reportedly, the young quarterback was also upset with the limited selection of players in the Pro Bowl. From the New England Patriots, only cornerback Christian Gonzalez got the Pro Bowl accolade besides Maye. Though all his teammates celebrated his selection, Maye felt more players deserved it.

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Nonetheless, the Patriots are focused on the game, especially now that they are chasing the top seed in the conference, competing with the Denver Broncos, standing at 12-3.