TAMPA, Fla. – Did the Patriots ask Drake Maye not to score and intentionally go down?
For a moment, it looked like it. After the game, Mike Vrabel wouldn’t say, and the quarterback denied it.
With 1:44 left in the first half, the Patriots had a first-and-goal from the 1-yard line. On the first play, Maye kept the ball, leaned forward, and appeared to take a knee for no gain. Since the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were out of timeouts, it looked like the Patriots were trying to drain the clock.
If that’s what they were doing, it almost cost them. The Patriots failed to score on the next two attempts and needed a fantastic catch by Stefon Diggs to score with time expiring in the second quarter.
After the game, Vrabel was asked if the team had asked Maye not to score on that first play.
“It was a huge play for us on fourth down,” Vrabel responded. “Got confidence in our guys. To be able to have confidence in them at that moment and then come through, that’s about players and not necessarily plays. I was really excited and proud of Stef and Drake for scoring and being able to end the half with the football in our hands.”
Vrabel was then asked, again, if the team had asked Maye not to score in order to drain the clock.
“Like, I said, we’re just really excited to end (with) the ball in our hands at the end of the first half and then be able to come out in the second half,” Vrabel said. “We have to do a better job of trying to double them up.”
The touchdown ended up being a game-changer for the Patriots.
The team was down, 10-7, when they had that last drive before the half. After Diggs’ touchdown, the Patriots went into halftime and opened the second half with the ball. On the second play of the third quarter, TreVeyon Henderson ran for a 55-yard touchdown.
The 14-point swing was instrumental in the team’s 28-23 win over the Buccaneers.
After the game, Maye was asked about that first-and-goal situation.
“Didn’t get in the first three times and called a play to get our guys the ball,” Maye said. “Stef made a great play. Hunter (Henry) was open as well. Stef did a great job of getting two feet down, a toe-tap extraordinaire.”
Maye was then asked if he was thinking about draining the clock on his first down run.
“I was trying to get in,” Maye responded. “Big Vita Vea. It’s not easy to get in with Vita standing there. I think the clock’s a thing, and it ended up working out for us. We ended up scoring. That’s all that matters.”
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