Patriots quarterback Drake Maye's stock continues to grow with his teammates, especially after his performance against the Dolphins on Sunday.
Patriots quarterback Drake Maye's stock continues to grow with his teammates, especially after his performance against the Dolphins on Sunday.Barry Chin/Globe Staff
MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Defensive tackle Christian Barmore is never shy when it comes to offering his opinion on just about everything. But in the visiting locker room at Hard Rock Stadium after Sunday’s 33-27 win over the Dolphins, he was positively animated when a reporter asked him about the performance of quarterback Drake Maye.
“Drake is a hell of a player, He’s a dawg,” Barmore said.
"Dawwwg," he repeated, drawing the word out for emphasis.
“I love playing with somebody like him. He puts fire into us," he added. “Especially how he makes big plays. The way he runs, it excites us. My guy, I told him we’re going to be good. He told me we were good. And today, we were good. He’s a hell of a player, and I love playing with a guy like that.”
Sunday’s win over the Dolphins represented more than a victory for New England. It was a triumph for the quarterback, who authored a bounce-back performance after an opener against the Raiders that left some questioning whether or not he’d mesh with offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels.
That talk? Hunter Henry wants you to know that it didn’t come from inside the locker room.
“We’ll let you guys talk about all that stuff. He attacked this week the same. Level-headed,” Henry said of the criticism Maye faced. “[Maye] just keeps everything the same. He’s got a bright future ahead of him. I love playing with him. Love getting in his huddle with him. Excited to continue to [stack wins] with him.”
Against the Dolphins, Maye was able to stand in and win a shootout against Tua Tagovailoa (26 for 32, 315 yards, 2 touchdowns, 1 interception). Maye accounted for three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing), and completed nine straight passes at one point in the first half. He finished with a completion rate of 83 percent (tying a career high), 230 passing yards, and a passer rating of 137.3.
The youngster, who showed an occasional penchant for misfires as a rookie, didn’t turn the ball over, and rushed for 31 yards on 10 carries, including a 6-yard dash to the end zone in the third quarter.
Ultimately, it was New England’s highest point total in almost three seasons.
“Shoot, I’m proud of this team, these guys around me,” said Maye, who was a high schooler the last time the Patriots won in Miami. “My job is to try to get them the football and lead these scoring drives, and the defense played their butts off. Just proud of the guys around me. Great team win.”
In the wake of the loss to the Raiders, it represented a sizable step forward for the second-year quarterback. Part of that was a greater sense of balance in the game plan. McDaniels, who lamented the imbalance in the run-pass splits against the Raiders, worked to get the ground game more involved against the Dolphins, and it paid off. A week after the Patriots ran the ball just three times in the second half against Las Vegas, they rolled up 29 carries and averaged 4.2 yards against Miami.
Maye reaped the benefits. With the game in his hands, he made plays with his arm and legs. In situations where the pocket broke down, he managed the situation, and made the smart, sensible decision.
It was a change from what we saw from him for much of last season, not to mention the second half of last week’s loss to the Raiders.
“I feel like he made a jump from last week,” said receiver Stefon Diggs, who had four catches for 32 yards, including a key fourth-down reception in the first half.
“It’s hard being a young quarterback,” Diggs added. “But I feel like he’s doing the best job he can.”
“Drake’s a hell of a quarterback,” said right tackle Morgan Moses. “Man, everything that he has been asked to do has been done. And when you get in the huddle and you’ve got a guy and he’s looking at you and he’s calling the plays, and you’re looking him in his eyes, and he’s speaking with confidence and enthusiasm, you know plays are going to work.”
Sunday’s win was not a masterpiece for New England by any means. The Patriots have plenty to clean up in all phases of the game, particularly special teams, where they yielded a punt return for a touchdown, and Andres Borregales missed a pair of extra points.
But for Maye and his teammates, it beats the alternative — 0-2, with a home date against the Steelers next Sunday.
“I’ll take an ugly win over a pretty loss any day,” Diggs said.
Ultimately, for Maye to rebound from a rough second half in the opener and be the guy who led New England to its first win over the Dolphins in Miami in almost six full seasons is another step in the right direction for the young quarterback, who continues to win the hearts and minds of his teammates.
“There were a few times during those long drives where he got us going,” said veteran center Garrett Bradbury. “We had a big first down, and he was rallying the boys up. I love to see that in your quarterback. That’s leadership, taking advantage of momentum. That’s huge for him.
“We love going to war with him. It’s awesome to work with that guy.”
Christopher Price can be reached at christopher.price@globe.com. Follow him on Bluesky at christopherprice.bsky.social.