The Patriots crushed Washington 48-18 in their preseason opener, giving fans plenty to celebrate. Tom Brady’s statue unveiling set the perfect tone before kickoff. TreVeyon Henderson electrified Gillette Stadium by returning the opening kick for a touchdown. Efton Chism dominated the second half with his impressive performance. New England looked unstoppable from start to finish, never taking their foot off the gas pedal against the overmatched Commanders. Everything clicked perfectly for the Patriots’ high-powered offense and opportunistic defense. But quarterback Drake Maye gave Mike Vrabel some headaches.

The young quarterback’s preseason debut didn’t go according to script. Maye managed just three completions on five attempts for a measly 12 yards through the air. His legs told a different story, though — an 11-yard scramble kept the chains moving, and he punched in a five-yard touchdown run that showed his dual-threat ability. But those bright spots got overshadowed by the mistakes.

A brutal 15-yard sack pushed the Patriots backward, and then came the moment that made coach Mike Vrabel’s jaw clench. Maye fumbled the ball away on just his third play of the preseason. When reporters pressed Vrabel about the turnover afterward, asking if it “probably annoyed you with what he did,” the coach’s response was ice-cold and simple. “I would say you summed it up,” Vrabel replied.

That fumble set the tone for what became a nightmare stretch. NFL insider Nick Cattles from Locked on Patriots painted the picture perfectly, explaining how crucial this period was for Maye’s development. “Everything building up to this week has meant an awful lot, but this week means the most. He has to put it all together against a tough defense in Minnesota. And frankly, Maye started off the week, not great.” The struggles continued beyond that first miscue. Maye endured what observers called a “rough start” and “bad day” during practice sessions. Five near-interceptions out of 13 attempts. Two more sacks. Another fumbled snap. The turnover bug that plagued him all last season — nine fumbles and 10 picks — was rearing its ugly head again.

The first fumble happened during the Patriots’ opening drive. Third down from the 45-yard line, pressure closing in, and Maye held the ball too long. Jer’Zhan Newton stripped it away as the quarterback went down. Left tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson got tangled up, creating the pressure, but Maye had chances to dump the ball off.

Cattles highlighted another concerning trend during red zone work. “Practice was the red zone working on red zone offense, not really using the run a ton. And when we look back at this camp, the offense has had some issues in the red zone, especially when they don’t get the run game going, or don’t even try to get the run game going. If they are specifically working on the red zone passing game, they’ve had issues.” Maye knew he’d messed up.

The accountability was immediate and genuine. “You got a little bit of a drive going. Third down. Yeah, just can’t do that on my first time out,” Maye said. “Glad we responded well to that next drive. Same time, I’m glad it’s something that I can control.” His response showed maturity beyond his years. Rather than making excuses about protection breakdowns or timing issues, he owned the mistake completely. That ownership carried over to his teammates, too.

“At the end of the day, you just can’t put the defense in that position when games matter during the season,” Maye said. “I told those guys it’s on me. We got to get back out there. Glad I was able to get another series going.” The redemption came quickly. Maye orchestrated an eight-play, 61-yard scoring drive that ended with him bulldozing into the end zone from five yards out. But even then, the passing attack sputtered. Every single completion went to running back TreVeyon Henderson — a telling sign that the aerial game wasn’t clicking.

“Obviously, wish you could have hit some more passes,” he said. “At the same time, we were running the ball well all night.” Vrabel’s message throughout camp has been crystal clear: eliminate the mental mistakes, secure the football, play clean. This performance represented everything the coach is trying to coach out of his young signal-caller. The fumble on the opening series wasn’t just a bad play — it was a statement about preparation and focus that echoed through the entire performance. For Maye, the margin for error keeps shrinking as expectations rise. But when these controversies erupted, Drake Maye shot down Josh Allen comparisons entirely. The message was clear — he’s focused on his own development, not living up to someone else’s standard.

Drake Maye keeps it real about Josh Allen comparisons

Patriots fans got excited watching Drake Maye’s rookie campaign. Fifteen touchdowns through the air, over 2,000 passing yards, plus 421 rushing yards with two scores on the ground. Not bad for a guy who started just 12 games after being drafted third overall. Those performances sparked inevitable comparisons to Buffalo’s MVP quarterback, Josh Allen. Same division, similar skill sets, big arms with dangerous legs. The parallels weren’t hard to spot.

When Maye sat down with Bussin’ With the Boys, he pumped the brakes on any Allen comparisons real quick. “I think the comparisons… [Well,] I got a lot of work to do. With even being in the same stratosphere or atmosphere as Josh,” Maye said. Smart move staying humble when you’re facing that quarterback twice every season. Allen’s Bills have owned the AFC East for five straight years.

“I’m just trying to be myself. And if, hey, some people think that, I mean, that’s a lot of respect for him, but I got a lot of work to do for that,” Maye said. The humility disappeared when basketball entered the conversation. Asked about a one-on-one matchup with Allen on the court, Maye’s confidence exploded. “I’ll take myself in hoops, for sure,” Maye stated. Host Taylor Lewan shared a perfect story capturing Maye’s basketball obsession.

“So, Drake, it was in Detroit, right? The day before he gets drafted, first-round pick by the New England Patriots, he’s at an indoor gym in a YMCA playing pickup basketball with a bunch of gen pop. Just trying to get some work in,” Lewan shared.

The NFL keeps trending toward mobile quarterbacks. Allen represents that archetype’s gold standard. Maye’s got similar tools, just needs experience to maximize them.