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It was surely a disappointing loss for the New England Patriots, who went head-to-head against the Chicago Bears. Quarterback Drake Maye was a standout player of the Patriots. However, a two-time Super Bowl winner and former Patriots cornerback thought otherwise.
“If you’re rooting for the New England Patriots, this was a very disappointing game against Caleb Williams and the Chicago Bears,” Asante Samuel, a two-time Super Bowl winner, said on his Say What Needs To Be Said podcast. “And Drake Maye, he is just all over the place this season. He is just pissing me off, man. If you want to put Drake Maye, as quarterback, I defended, as a game manager or a system quarterback. This is your time to say, ‘I told you so, son.’ I don’t know how much defending I can do anymore because he is killing me.”
Samuel claimed the Patriots failed in their playcalling in the first drive. Maye was able to set the tone early with a 19-yard pass, but a penalty on the next play forced the Patriots to retreat back 10 yards from the 50-yard line. Maye and the offense were only able to reach Chicago’s 45, where he was sacked on a fourth-and-five.
The Patriots could have contended for a field goal, since Maye was already under pressure to cover 20 yards on that set of downs.
“Those three points on that first drive in the first quarter became so significant in this game. We went for it on fourth down, and that put all the pressure on Drake Maye that he isn’t ready for,” Samuel continued.
However, the Patriots otherwise put up a good fight. It eventually turned into a one-score game, with the Bears pulling away with a 30-24 victory. Drake Maye wasn’t so much of a disappointment, as he earned a passer rating of 117.8.
The Pats QB averaged 10.4 yards per pass attempt, racked up 321 yards, and scored two touchdowns. However, there was that one interception that held New England back from catching up to the Bears.
With 3:32 left in the second quarter and the score at 13-7, Maye had the chance to score a touchdown. Facing a 1st-and-10 from Chicago’s 15 and with ample time available, it seemed easy. However, Maye’s pass intended for tight end Eli Raridon was intercepted by D’Marco Jackson. And it turned out to be costly, as the Bears scored on the very next drive, widening the gap to 20-7.
Maye later spoke on the interception that proved costly for his team.
“It definitely was a huge point in the game. It’s those plays I talk about all the time. And those plays that can swing the game, can impact the game, and that was definitely one of them right there. I wish I definitely had that one back, and a lot of plays. But got to give credit to them,” Maye said.
Drake Maye had thrown seven interceptions in the first four games. However, he had remarkably turned himself around in the next two games, posting passer ratings above 100. That streak continues after the Bears game as well, but the two-game streak of being pick-free didn’t.
Though the interception was a pivotal moment in the game, head coach Mike Vrabel praised his QB.
“He gave us a chance. He competed and I know he’d like to have that throw back to Eli, but I thought he really competed,” Vrabel said. “Whether that was running around and scrambling or finding good places to go with the football. He gave us a chance. I know he’d like to have that one back and he’ll learn from it like he always does. I’m glad he’s ours.”
The Patriots and Maye will now have a chance to redeem themselves against the Miami Dolphins next.
The post “He Is Just Pissing Me Off”: 2x Patriots Super Bowl Champ Doesn’t Hold Back on Drake Maye After Loss to Bears appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.