Patriots' Drake Maye scores late TD, laments 'stupid' INT

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye delivered a stunning play to send Sunday's game against the Tennessee Titans into overtime with no time left in regulation. 17 road damage at Nissan Stadium.

The dramatic back-and-forth sparked feelings of promise and disappointment among the Patriots players and coaches as they fell to 2-7.

“The guy is special, man. The way he competes, the way he plays, the way he keeps fighting,” veteran tight end Hunter Henry said of Maye, the No. 3 pick in the draft. “I’m proud of his fight. There is a lot to learn and we will continue to work on it.”

Maye capped an 11-play, 50-yard touchdown drive at the end of regulation with a play in which he held the ball for 11.82 seconds while zigzagging through the pocket waiting for a receiver to uncover him . He then threw a 5-yard pass and fell to the ground in the end zone to hit running back Rhamondre Stevenson with no time left.

Since NFL Next Gen Stats began tracking in 2016, Maye's attempt to defeat the Chicago Bears is the second-longest time on a touchdown pass (regular season or playoffs), behind only Commanders' Hail Mary. Quarterback Jayden Daniels in Week 8 (12.70 seconds). ).

“This is Drake. Nobody was surprised. Drake does stuff like that all the time,” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “He fought and did what he could.”

Maye said he tried to keep the game alive and praised Stevenson for his receiver-like effort before adding, “But we came up short in the end, so this game really doesn't matter at this point.”

A major reason was Maye's final decision to work overtime. The Titans had taken a 20-17 lead after kicking a field goal, and the Patriots took the lead at their own 30-yards with 2:32 left, with Mayes' 11-yard scramble getting the ball on second down brought the 41-yard mark.

On first-and-10, Maye attempted a deep ball over the middle to receiver Kayshon Boutte, which got caught in the air and was intercepted by safety Amani Hooker.

“We have thrown everything to the wind and I have to do more. Just a stupid decision. Something you would like to have back,” he said. “Especially in this situation, we could at least tie it. Sometimes it’s best to throw it away.”

Maye, who was cleared from the concussion protocol on Saturday, was also intercepted early in the second quarter and sacked in the fourth quarter for a play that gave the Titans a short field and resulted in a touchdown.

He completed 29 of 41 yards for 206 yards while adding 95 rushing yards on eight scrambles. The 95 rushing yards were the second-most by a Patriots quarterback since 1976, behind only Steve Grogan (103).

“If they let guys out and there’s some main tracks up front, I’ll make them pay for it. That’s my attitude,” Maye said.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo praised Maye's mental toughness and ability to make plays over the run before addressing how the game ended.

“He’s a guy out there trying to make a play. I think sometimes we forget how young he is, as well as he played,” Mayo said of the 22-year-old Maye. “He will continue to develop and be a good quarterback in this league. We will all learn from this, including me.”