The New England Patriots are in a hole, and quarterback Drake Maye isn't hiding from it. After a dazzling 2025 campaign, Maye has struggled mightily in 2026, and he's the first to admit it.
Sunday's 1-2 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars was another low point. Maye tossed two more interceptions, bringing his season total to six. The turnovers have been a recurring theme, and Patriots fans are sounding the alarm after yet another costly giveaway.
Head coach Mike Vrabel didn't mince words when asked about his quarterback's performance. His concern level, he said, is "very" high.
"I try to talk to him about taking the ball and putting it where it's supposed to go," Vrabel said postgame. "I think he knows what to do. I think we have to do it better. We all want to make plays, we just have to make good ones. And if it's not there, we have to make a great decision. I think sometimes you can want it too badly, but we can't force anything."
Vrabel stressed the importance of protecting the football, a message that's clearly not getting through yet.
"We have to take care of the football," Vrabel added. "We can't force things... I think he knows what to do. You know what I mean? I think we have to do it better, you know? And again, we all want to make plays. We just have to make them good ones. And, if it's not there, we got to make a great decision."
Maye, for his part, is taking full ownership. He didn't deflect or make excuses. He looked in the mirror and didn't like what he saw.
"The ball starts rolling like that, we can't get out of our own way," Maye said. "I can't get out of my own way personally. So, I got to look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point. You know, it's Week 3. We got to have some fuel and realize that what we're doing out there offensively is unacceptable – unacceptable for three weeks."
The Patriots' schedule doesn't offer any respite. Next up is a showdown with the Buffalo Bills, a team that has owned the AFC East in recent years. Maye will need to clean up his act quickly, or the critics will only get louder. The pressure is mounting, but Maye seems ready to embrace it.
