FOXBOROUGH - After the Patriots Week 1 loss to the Las Vegas Raiders, there were more questions than compliments being tossed around when it came to the Drake Maye-Josh McDaniels union.
In the season opener, Maye was tentative and unsure in the pocket. He looked lost, leading to the notion McDaniels and his complex offense were holding him back. There was too much on Maye’s plate, having to learn all the nuances with the scheme and language.
Five weeks later, that narrative has turned into nothing more than a blip on the radar.
Maye has traded in hesitance for confidence. He’s flipped uncertainty into command of that difficult offense.
He looks like a superstar. And by extension, so does his offensive coordinator.
Maye’s quick turnaround has helped trigger the Patriots’ recent three-game win streak, and rise to the top of the AFC East.
While some may be surprised at how well the pair has meshed six games into the season, one former Patriots quarterback had no doubt.
Matt Cassel, who had McDaniels at his side prepping him to take over after Tom Brady was lost for the 2008 season with a torn ACL, remembers what it was like to have the offensive coordinator in his corner.
“I know, just through my experience with him, as a quarterback, he puts you into a position to be successful because of the way he calls the game,” Cassel said of McDaniels. “Whether it’s formational alignment, or (getting) two plays in your helmet, as long as a quarterback can grasp those concepts, you go into a game with so much confidence.
“You go in and think you can conquer the world because he really does help you understand why you’re doing certain things. He’s a tremendous teacher of the game.”
Six weeks in, between Maye’s talent, and McDaniels guidance, the Patriots second-year quarterback is an MVP candidate.
The Patriots are 4-2, in first place in the AFC East, largely due to Maye’s exploits.
“Drake is coming into his own. I don’t believe it’s too soon (to say he’s arrived),” Cassel said. “Last year, we saw the potential … And this year, you put him with Josh in this offense, you surround him with more talent at the wide receiver position, Stefon Diggs, in particular, and you can just see this confidence he’s playing with.
“He can make all the throws. He’s pushing the ball downfield with explosive plays, but he’s also doing it with consistency … Week in and week out, he’s playing at such a high level, that’s why they’re winning the games in the fashion they are. That type of play breathes confidence throughout the entire team and the offense unit. He’s quickly put himself in everyone’s conversation about him being a star.”
The 35-yard hookup with Diggs, rolling to his right and delivering a dart on the move during the upset of the Bills?
Cassel says there are few quarterbacks on the planet who can make that throw on the run. Maye, however, made it look easy.
After that unsettling first week, McDaniels made some tweaks and adjustments. And he relied on the coaches on the staff who have experience with the West Coast offense to help incorporate some plays from that scheme.
McDaniels was willing to make fixes outside of his playbook, to insert move bootlegs and run options like the Diggs pass.
Cassel isn’t surprised.
“There’s this constant evolution, any time you watch offenses. And if you’re stagnant as a coach, and not continuing to grow yourself, you’re doing yourself a disservice,” Cassel said. “And if it’s something where you have a young player and can play to his strengths or conceptually something he does really well … well then shame on you if you don’t install that and put it into the game plan.”
Cassel talked about his own experience with McDaniels, how he adapted to make his backup quarterback more comfortable executing.
“He was always very collaborative with me,” Cassel said. “He wasn’t one of these guys where it was my way or the highway.”
Cassel has watched Maye evolve. He’s been impressed with how quickly the Patriots quarterback has understood the offense, and how well he’s been able to read defenses and deliver the ball to the right place.
“He’s getting through reads and he’s making tremendous decisions. That’s a huge part of it. Then you add on top of it, his overall talent level. You see it week in and week out. He can make plays with his legs if he needs to.
“But he just has this calm presence especially in the pocket where he steps up, he maneuvers, and makes an accurate throw. I mean, the guy’s been incredibly impressive.”
McDaniels has helped Maye get to the next level. He’s made the offense Maye-friendly. The way it looks, the sky’s the limit for the Patriots quarterback.
“If that relationship stays intact, you can already see the benefits of them working together,” Cassel said of the Maye-McDaniels union. “And if you continue to build around Drake Maye, I think you can put him in a position to be really successful for a long, long time.”
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