There’s a fine line between calm and careless in the NFL pocket. Legendary quarterback Tom Brady had mastered the art of standing serene amid chaos, eyes downfield while defenders closed in. But what worked for the GOAT might be a dangerous game for New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye this weekend. Ryan Fitzpatrick, who spent 17 seasons battling through NFL trenches himself, noticed something troubling in Maye’s recent outing that needs to be fixed.

“I always used to marvel at Tom Brady in the pocket, like how calm he could be, even when he would navigate the pocket and still just stand in there,” Fitzpatrick noted on the Fitz and Whit podcast. “And I know that Drake Maye has obviously watched a ton of Tom film and [kept] his eyes up and everything. But it did feel like twice in that game, he was way too relaxed in there. Those are the ones that he let go. So I wonder if that is in the back of his mind going to this next week of like, ‘all right, that probably is not going to be the best thing to do this week versus Houston.”

Sure, the Patriots all but shut down the Los Angeles Chargers 16-3 in the Wild Card round last week. But he also took 5 sacks, had 12 incompletions against 29 attempts, and threw a pick that could have proven very costly. And now, with the intimidating defense of the Houston Texans looming, Fitzpatrick wonders if that lesson has sunk in for Maye.

To be fair, Drake Maye has proven himself to be an asset under pressure. Throughout the 2025 regular season, he’s already crossed at least four franchise records previously held by Brady, and made himself impossible to ignore in the MVP conversation. This is the first time the Patriots have moved past the Wild Card since Brady’s 2018 season. But even with that elite talent pool to draw from, Maye cannot afford to make mistakes.

Brady earned his pocket presence through two decades of reading defenses, and internal clocks calibrated by countless snaps. Brady’s Patriots head coach, Bill Belichick, also made it a personal mission to make the quarterback room understand how defenses function. Maye, despite his remarkable sophomore campaign, is still writing those early chapters. Against a Texans secondary that thrives on punishing quarterback hesitation, the margin for error shrinks to nothing.

Maye has already faced Houston once. His first NFL start back in October 2024 resulted in a 41-21 defeat. He took four sacks and threw two picks that day, but also managed 243 yards and three touchdowns. Now, in the divisional round at home, he gets a chance at redemption. But the stakes have escalated, and both Maye and head coach Mike Vrabel are aware of that.

A defense that demands urgency from Drake Maye

The caution surrounding Houston’s defense is no accident. They rank 1st in overall defense (just 277.2 yards allowed per game), 6th in passing defense, 4th in stopping the run, and 2nd in scoring defense, per Fox rankings. And this is the same team that held the Pittsburgh Steelers to zero touchdowns in the Wild Card. So when Mike Vrabel was asked if the Texans represent the best defense New England has faced this season, his answer came swift and certain.

“Yeah, of course,” Vrabel said. “They have great talent, great scheme, they play hard and I respect how hard they play. They’re not only talent, but they have a play demeanor that I can appreciate.”

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This “demeanor” circles around two All-Pro defensive ends: Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter. Anderson Jr. has 35 solo tackles on the season alongside 12 sacks and three forced fumbles in the regular season. Hunter, meanwhile, has 28 solo tackles, 15 sacks, and another three forced fumbles. In simpler terms, they don’t mess around. And Vrabel has highlighted their versatility as the real nightmare for the Patriots.

“I think there’s talent, length and effort,” Vrabel added. “If they get blocked, they don’t stay blocked long. Can power – different moves on the edge. So, they play hard against the run. It’s not just if you run the ball that they’re taking plays off. So, two really good bookends.”

Drake has echoed his head coach’s concerns, and he’s worried about the entire defense that has terrorized offenses all season.

“They fly around. They’re relentless. They’re great up front, they’re great in the back end. They have great linebackers, they’re great all around. They got great coaching,” Maye said of the Texans’ secondary. “We’ve got our hands full. We know it’s going to be a tough game. All the hype is deserving from what I’ve seen on film. So we have to be able to stay ahead of the chains.”

Now, Sunday will reveal whether Maye has heeded Fitzpatrick’s warning. Sometimes the best way to honor Brady’s legacy isn’t copying his moves, it’s knowing when to move faster. If Maye can remember his 2024 defeat and stay on top of things, the Patriots have a real chance to move up to the AFC Championship.