The Patriots have a Drake Maye problem. Is that salty? It’s true. It’s not because he’s playing poorly. It’s because all the pressure is on him. He’s expected to be the backbone of the team. No one else seems willing to step up and help him, whether he’s in the pocket or scrambling outside of it. Are his teammates expecting Maye to do their jobs, too?
It sure seems like it.
Thursday night’s 30-24 loss to the Chicago Bears was a frustrating reminder that having a talented quarterback doesn’t automatically make you a talented football team. Especially when your defense plays more of a two-hand-touch than tackling game. Maye threw for 321 yards, completed 24 of 31 passes, and accounted for three touchdowns. Yet New England still walked away with its third loss of the season, dropping to 4-3 and snapping a three-game winning streak.
It’s not all on Drake Maye.
The Patriots Defense Forgot How To Tackle
You grab the guy and pull him down. You hit him and make him fall. You come full force and topple the player. It’s not that hard.
Except, for some reason, it is. The Patriots missed sixteen tackles. That’s a two-digit number. The Bears accumulated 405 total yards, including 149 yards after the catch and 85 rushing yards after contact. Chicago found out early on that the easiest way to advance the football was to keep running after a Patriots defender who was trying to stop them.
It looked like fifth grade tag.
Chicago wide receiver Luther Burden III made that painfully obvious in the second quarter.
Facing third-and-17, Caleb Williams connected with Burden on a screen pass that turned into a 24-yard touchdown. A situation that should have favored New England’s defense instead became another highlight for Chicago. He ended the first half with 130 receiving yards on four catches. It just showed how fast defensive mistakes can turn manageable plays into game changing disasters.
Then came Chicago’s opening possession of the second half.
The Bears marched 72 yards down the field, finishing with a 12-yard touchdown reception by Colston Loveland. The tight end broke through defenders on his way into the end zone, extending Chicago’s lead to 27-14. New England needed a defensive statement. Instead, Chicago delivered another one.
Drake Maye Wasn’t Perfect, But He Wasn’t The Biggest Problem
No one’s creating a Hall of Fame bust of Drake Maye quite yet. He did contribute to Thursday night’s loss. His first-half interception in the end zone was costly. New England had an opportunity to put points on the board, and Maye’s underthrown pass to rookie tight end Eli Raridon ended that chance.
That’s on him.
But the bigger picture matters. Maye finished with 321 passing yards, two passing touchdowns, a rushing touchdown, and a 117.8 passer rating. He also helped engineer one of the game’s most entertaining moments. With seconds remaining in the first half, Drake Maye found Rhamondre Stevenson on a short pass that turned into a spectacular 48-yard touchdown. Stevenson navigated Chicago’s defense, aided by a crucial downfield block from DeMario Douglas, and New England had life again.
Later, Maye connected with Raridon on a 30-yard touchdown pass, giving the rookie redemption for the earlier interception. Maye made mistakes. He also made plays that kept the Patriots competitive. The problem wasn’t that he failed to deliver perfection. He needed a team to help him excel, but instead they gave him a spreadsheet full of errors and no formulas for success.
New England’s Running Game Isn’t Making Things Easier
A successful offense needs more than just a quarterback that can throw the ball. New England’s running game offered little assistance Thursday. The Patriots finished with 70 rushing yards, and 26 of those came from Maye himself. That leaves just 44 yards from the running backs.
Stevenson rushed for 22 yards on six carries. Corey Kiner contributed 13 yards, while TreVeyon Henderson managed nine. Those numbers aren’t going to strike fear into opposing defensive coordinators. Stevenson was significantly more productive as a receiver, recording 93 receiving yards and a touchdown on five catches. Relying on your quarterback to generate explosive passing plays while also contributing more than a third of the team’s rushing yards isn’t exactly the definition of offensive balance.
If the Patriots want to compete consistently, opposing defenses need to have a reason to respect the run. That reason is getting harder to find. Head coach Mike Vrabel has made physicality and accountability central to New England’s identity. The Patriots committed 10 penalties for 71 yards, missed 16 tackles, and allowed Chicago to score on five of its first six possessions. That sounds like a team struggling with execution.
Individual players deserve responsibility for their mistakes, but coaching staffs don’t get to escape criticism when those mistakes continue piling up. To New England’s credit, the Patriots didn’t quit. They fought back repeatedly, remained competitive into the fourth quarter, and forced Chicago to finish the job.
Resilience only gets a team so far.
End Of My Patriots Rant
The Patriots have talent.
Stevenson can create something out of nothing. Douglas continues to make important contributions. Raridon showed his ability to bounce back from adversity, and Maye has demonstrated why New England believes he can become the face of its franchise. Unfortunately, individual moments of brilliance don’t erase collective failures. Chicago didn’t need perfection to beat New England. The Bears capitalized on the opportunities the Patriots kept giving them. That’s what makes Thursday night’s loss so frustrating.
The Patriots weren’t completely outmatched. They weren’t incapable of competing. They just couldn’t consistently execute the fundamental parts of football. They could have won the game.
The good news is that New England has time to correct these problems. The bad news is that opposing teams aren’t going to wait while they figure things out. Drake Maye can throw the touchdowns, extend the plays, and keep giving the Patriots opportunities to win. What he can’t do is make the tackles, eliminate every penalty, establish a running game, and play defense while he’s at it. He’s only one man.
There’s no doubt that the Patriots have found their quarterback. They just need to start playing like they’ve found a team.
