Takeaways from the Patriots, 41-21, loss to the Texans

Sunday’s game against the Houston Texans was the most enjoyable Patriots' game I've watched in over a year. It was a small reminder of what it used to be like to watch a game around these parts. It was the anticipation leading up to the game. It was the not knowing what the next play would bring. It was the belief that at any time the Patriots offense could score a touchdown. It was exhilarating.

And the Patriots lost by twenty, 41-21.

But the score didn’t matter. Like I have consistently written, this season is not about wins and losses. It is about hope. And, for the first time since the season opener win against the Bengals, the Patriots on Sunday gave fans hope that better days may not be that far off.

Here are some of my takeaways from the game:

Drake Maye didn’t break like a porcelain doll when he got hit

And get hit he did. Maye got hit eight times and was sacked four times in his NFL starting debut. That was the concern about putting the 22-year-old rookie behind one of the NFL’s worst offensive lines. Head coach Jerod Mayo, finally, admitted it as much following the game in an interview on radio station WEEI – that is what was delaying Maye's debut.

Maye did get hit a lot, but he kept getting up. There were some hits, especially the strip sack on the first drive of the second half, that had me thinking that he was going to be down for the count.

But if Maye’s time on the bench watching Brissett taught him anything, it was how to be a warrior. It taught him that you need to prove your toughness to your teammates by getting up after each hit. This is football. You need to prove to your teammates that you are not a prima donna.

Drake Maye brings a dimension to the QB position the Patriots haven’t had in decades

That’s right, I said decades. That includes Tom Brady. The dimension I am talking about is his creativity and his ability to improvise. The differentiating dimension is the ability to make throws from any angle and on the run. The dimension is to take a busted play and turn it into a big gain. The dimension is the ability to convert a first down with his legs on third down and long.

Brady was not able to do those things. In fact, the only Patriots’ quarterbacks in history that could do those things were Jim Plunkett, Steve Grogan, and Doug Flutie. 

Plunkett was a first overall pick for the Patriots in 1971 but compiled only a 23-38 record with New England. For those old enough to remember an older, more stationary veteran Plunkett winning two Super Bowls for Al Davis’ Raiders in the 1980’s, they would be surprised to find out Plunkett was a premier running quarterback out of college – very similar to Maye.

Flutie is a local legend for the Miracle Hail Mary in Miami and for winning a Heisman Trophy while playing at Boston College. It was a great story when he got a chance to play for the hometown Patriots, but he only started 13 games in three years in the late 1980’s. In college, Flutie’s creativity and ability to pull a rabbit out of a hat became known as Flutie Magic. Flutie was generously listed as 5’10” and 180 pounds during his playing days. I met Flutie once, and I am 5’11” and I towered over him. Anyway, Maye is listed at 6’4”, 220 pounds.

There are few athletes in Boston sports history who embody the blue collar work ethic of New England like Steve Grogan. Grogan has a special place in fans’ hearts for his toughness. If you were born before 1970, when you picture Steve Grogan in your mind, you picture him with that neck roll he played with for most of the Super Bowl 1985 season.

In Grogan’s first year after taking over for Plunkett in 1976, he rushed for 12 touchdowns. In 1978, he rushed for 539 yards. 

Tom Brady – for all his greatness – barely broke 1,000 yards rushing in his two decades with the Patriots. Pffff. The guy sucked.

Drake Maye has the potential to be the end result of a lab experiment combining all the DNA of those great Patriots' quarterbacks. The dream is for Maye to combine the leadership, ability in the clutch, and the football IQ of Tom Brady, the toughness and heart of Steve Grogan, the running ability of Jim Plunkett, the size and arm of Drew Bledsoe, and the creativity and enthusiasm of Doug Flutie. If the experiment is a success, we may have the greatest quarterback ever genetically created.

You may be surprised by my favorite Maye play of the day

Everyone is talking about the touchdown pass to Boutte just before the end of the first half and for good reason. It may have been Maye’s coming out moment. The Patriots were a Kyle Dugger end zone interception away from being down, 21-0, going into halftime. 

The Patriots had the ball on their own 18-yard line with only 53 seconds left in the first half. The situation had all the makings of another end of half time management disaster for Mayo and Van Pelt.

Instead, a legend may have been born as Maye moved the team into Houston territory, then bypassed a wide open Douglas in the middle of the field, and lofted a perfect long pass down the right sideline that fell into Boutte’s hands like a feather.

It was a great play, but it wasn’t my favorite. We’ve seen Brady make that pass numerous times. If we are being objective, it was a relatively simple pass by NFL standards. Ho-hum.

For me, the play that stood out and makes me believe Maye is a different breed was a pass that maybe only traveled ten yards through the air. 

It happened late in the third quarter. Maye took a shotgun snap and rolled right to evade the rush. Just when it looked like he was going to scamper out of bounds for a short gain, Maye made an almost no-look touch pass across his body to Hunter Henry, who found himself settled into a spot behind some defenders who left him to charge at Maye. It turned what could have been a sack, or a short run by Maye, into a 30-yard gain. Those are the kind of plays that differentiate Maye from the pack.

Drake Maye has a quick release

The final drive of the first half which culminated in the Boutte touchdown was aided by a pass interference call on a pass to Demario Douglas over the middle at midfield. The part of the play that impressed me was how it looked like Maye was going to get crushed by a defender coming from his throwing side, but somehow managed to contort his body in a position to throw the ball twenty yards downfield to allow for the penalty to get called.

Drake Maye can be incredibly erratic with his throws

I’m talking Charlie Sheen’s character of Wild Thing in the movie Major League erratic. His first throw of the game should have been a sign of things to come. I thought it was a throw away when he airmailed Ja’Lynn Polk along the sidelines on a third down pass, but looking at the totality of Maye's throws on the day, who knows.

On the next drive, Maye was intercepted when he overthrew a wide open Demario Douglas by ten yards.

Another time Antonio Gibson had to make a difficult leaping catch on, what should have been (easy for me to say, right?), a simple little flare pass into the right flat.

Maye hit Demario Douglas for a 17-yard gain deep in Houston territory late in the third quarter, but had he been more accurate with his pass leading Douglas – instead of throwing it slightly behind him – Douglas could have easily jogged the remaining twenty yards into the end zone. Maye knew it as he immediately put his hands up to his helmet after the throw.

Maye said afterwards that his adrenaline was pumping and that he was a little nervous making his first start and that might explain the extra air he was putting on balls. However, his inaccuracy has always been an issue and a concern among scouts which had some wondering if he was worthy of a top three draft pick. It will be something to keep an eye on going forward.

Maye raised the game of his teammates

Demario Douglas said after the game that he would "run through a wall" for Maye. Douglas also said Maye has "swag."

Kendrick Bourne said Maye has an aura. That aura can't be taught – you either have it or you don't

No offense to Jacoby, but I never heard any of the players say those things about him.

Demario Douglas had the best game for a New England receiver in a couple of years. He almost broke 100 yards... almost.

Hunter Henry caught his first touchdown of the year. On the 30-yard catch and run I referenced earlier, Henry had the most open field after a catch that he has, probably, seen in his entire time with New England. It almost looked like he was surprised and didn't know which way he should run after he caught the ball.

Kayshon Boutte continues to, singlehandedly, make both Tyquan Thornton and KJ Osborn expendable. He has emerged as the Patriots' best sideline receiver.

Despite having a ragtag offensive line, they did an admirable job protecting The Franchise. Maye had a clean pocket a lot more times than I would have expected.

What is going on with Ja’Lynn Polk? 

One player whose level of play didn't rise with Mayo was Polk.

Don’t make me do it, Ja'Lynn. Don’t make me mention that other wide receiver who had an apostrophe in his name that was drafted in the top forty who defines the word “bust” around these parts.

Polk had two of the worst drops against Houston that you will ever see. Polk’s calling card coming out of college was his hands so this is unconscionable to many, including me. I fully expected Polk to have a huge game with Maye chucking the pigskin. It was my biggest disappointment of the day.

I still believe in Polk. I am willing to chalk it up to just not having many balls thrown his way this season Hopefully, he is just rusty. I really don’t want to have to mention that other guy’s name.

Who is Ben Brown?

The unsung hero of the game may have been Brown. The loss of veteran David Andrews was the last thing the Patriots’ offensive line needed. Andrews and Mike Onwenu were the only two the Patriots could count on, allowing the coaches to try and focus on the other three positions of the o-line.

Nick Leverett was the first choice to replace Andrews. But when Leverett gave up ten pressures in his first start at center last week, the Patriots looked chose to look elsewhere for help. They picked Ben Brown off the Raiders’ practice squad and, despite being flown in only days before the game, he was the surprise starter against Houston.

The results were remarkable – zero pressures. Coach Mayo singled him out after the game as one of the few bright spots for the team. Maybe the Patriots found something here. Let’s see if he doesn’t get hurt.

Alex Van Pelt is not right for Maye

The home crowd erupted when Maye took the field for the first time on Sunday. So what were the first two play calls? Two boring runs straight into the clogged up middle of the Houston defense.

It looked like the Patriots were going to baby Maye again. Thank goodness for the last drive of the first half when Maye took things into his own hands and showed the coaching staff that they should trust him to chuck the ball downfield. 

Even that drive looked like it was headed for disaster. The coaching staff had mishandled the last drives of the first half in the Cincinnati, Seattle, and Miami games. After they looked undecided by calling a run play on first down with less than a minute left in the half, it looked like Houston was going to get the ball again.

Another thing that bugs me is that Van Pelt is not a believer in using motion before the snap. It is something that has been the trend in the NFL in the last few years. Take Miami as an example the way they always have someone like Tyreek Hill or De'Von Achane motioning, sometimes illegally towards the line of scrimmage at the snap.

Van Pelt was asked about using motion presnap during a press conference this week, and he dismissed it as all fluff. He said he only likes to use motion if it serves a purpose. It is, basically, a diss at perceived offensive masterminds like Mike McDaniels, Sean McVay, and Kyle Shanahan.

How can you have an offensive coordinator in the modern day NFL not believe in getting players in motion presnap? Imagine how much more dangerous of a weapon Demario Douglas could be if he had a running head start or if he was used as a decoy ot misdirection on run plays.

Some of the play designs I question as well. Taylor Kyles has done a great job in recent weeks breaking down plays on his Patriots Daily podcast along with host, Mike Kadlick. I urge you to check them out as they post a video almost daily.

One of the play designs Kyles broke down had me scratching my head. The play, shown below, has all five receivers converging in the middle of the field on slant patterns. Nobody is working the sidelines. How does a play design like that make sense? How could any quarterback complete a pass throwing into a crowd of, at least, ten people (one defender for each of the five receivers)? It is a recipe for disaster and not a play I would even call in Madden.

Another thing that disappointed me was the lack of run/pass option (RPO) plays. One of Maye’s strengths is his running ability. Call some design runs for him and let him stretch his legs.

Instead, I got the feeling just the opposite was happening. Maye took it upon himself to scramble a few times for decent yardage in the first half. The first time he ran he had to shove his running back out of his way. 

In the second half, however, I got the impression that Maye was told by Van Pelt to stop it, this is not what we do.

I can’t wait to see this offense with Rhamondre Stevenson

The Patriots had no running game against Houston to support Maye. Stevenson missed this game with a foot injury sustained at the end of the Miami game. As I watched Antonio Gibson, JaMychal Hasty, and Terrell Jennings get stuffed at the line of scrimmage again and again, i couldn’t help but think Stevenson will be even more effective with Maye at quarterback – and Maye will be more effective with Stevenson in the backfield. The threat of Maye throwing downfield will keep defenses honest. Stevenson should have more room to roam. Even in the passing game, I think Stevenson could be more of a weapon with Maye in there… if Van Pelt can find a way to utilize him.

The defense is regressing

Oh, the irony. Just when the offense might be showing signs of life, the defense is slipping. Houston rushed for 192 yards. They had two different ball carriers have runs of over 50 yards. Mayo pointed that out as, simply, unacceptable. 

The run defense misses Ja'Whaun Bentley more than anyone may have anticipated. Raekwon McMillan just isn’t cutting it as his replacement in the middle. And what was up with the shoulder tackle/shove attempt by Jacquelin Roy (who?) on Dameon Pierce’s game clinching 54-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter? Pathetic.

Every time the Texans needed a big play in the passing game, it seemed like Stefon Diggs or Tank Dell were wide open. This may have been Christian Gonzalez’s worst day as a pro. Credit to Diggs for being the first receiver to put up any kind of numbers against Gonzalez.

Too many turnovers and penalties

I'm going to give Drake Maye a pass on his two interceptions and his lost fumble on a strip sack. I'd rather see a quarterback who takes chances downfield if it means he may throw an interception every once in a while – emphasis on "every once in a while." This was Maye's first NFL start and it was against one of the top defenses in the NFL. I'll let this one slide.

The strip sack, however, is a little more disconcerting. I was very worried during the game with Maye's lack of awareness of the pass rush. Maye does a great job of keeping his focus downfield and progressing, rapidly, through his reads.

I would imagine it is near impossible to do both keep an eye downfield and also on a defender making a beeline at you. That is where the sixth sense has to kick in. The great quarterbacks have it. Brady had it. Drew Bledsoe didn't. Tony Eason didn't. Mac Jones, definitely, did not.

If Maye wants to survive a full season, he will need to do a better job of identifying where the pass rush may be coming from. With New England's offensive line, it could come from everywhere all at once. At the very least, it is a good idea to know where someone like Will Anderson is lining up.

What is not excusable are fumbles like the one Austin Hooper had. What professional football player is taught to use the football to press it against the ground to maintain your balance? It is not good when you only touch the ball once all game, and it results in a fumble. Where is Jaheim Bell?

And just wait until Rhamondre Stevenson returns to action. Stevenson fumbled in each of his first four games. Patriots' fans may be holding their collective breath on every offensive play the rest of the way.

The Patriots keep compiling penalties at an alarming rate. I'll be honest – the biggest surprise to me on the Boutte touchdown catch before the half was that there were no flags on the play. My first reaction when I saw Boutte catch the ball and trot into the end zone was to look for the little yellow banner at the bottom of the TV screen.

The Patriots committed nine more penalties against Houston on Sunday. They are somehow getting worse and not better in the category. A team as bad as the Patriots, simply, cannot overcome turnovers and penalties.

To me that lack of discipline reflects, directly, on the coaching. Which leads me to my final observation from the game.

Mayo has no answers

Jerod Mayo is learning that it isn’t easy when everyone is looking at you for answers. How many more times can he say in press conferences that "it" just wasn’t good enough? How many more times can he be allowed to say we need to do the fundamentals better?

Fundamentals? That is for preseason. We are now more than a third of the way through the season. Things like players lining up in their right spots before the snap, making substitutions, getting in and out of huddles, knowing where the line of scrimmage is, knowing how to count to eleven, or understanding time management should be second nature by now.

Mayo says it himself – he is in the problem solving business. It is up to him and the coaches to come up with answers. Simply saying we need to execute better and focus on fundamentals isn't getting it done.

You can hear the dejection and self doubt creeping into Mayo’s voice and body language in press conferences and radio interviews in recent weeks. The jovial Jerod Mayo from his introductory press conference is gone. Reality has set in.

It is obvious he is in over his head. He has no clue how to fix the offense. That's not his side of the ball. The way he has handled the quarterback situation has been a disaster. It is inexcusable for players to find out Drake Maye is the new starting quarterback through social media.

His control of his team is minimal. Fair or not – the Jabrill Peppers arrest happened under his watch. Matthew Judon's behavior on the practice field in camp was embarrassing. Chukwuma Okorafor quit on the team. Nick Leverett started at center last week and was released this week. There is something fishy about that.

The players are free to do and say whatever they wish, and it hasn’t been helpful. Davon Godchaux, for whatever reason, thinks he has the stature to call out other players for being selfish when he has held out of the last two camps claiming he is underpaid. DeMario Douglas is able to call out the coaching staff after the second game for not getting him the ball more.

Mayo, simply, was not ready for this. Pardon the pun, but Mayo needed more seasoning. He had never been a head coach at any level. He had barely spent any time as an assistant coach. He has no clue about offense. He wants to be open with the media, but he has stuck his foot in his mouth numerous times, dating back to free agency when he said the Patriots were willing to "burn some cash," which they never did.

Mayo wasn't ready.