When the Patriots headed to Minnesota for joint practices with the Vikings before their preseason matchup, most of the noise centered around how New England's offense would perform against Brian Flores and Minnesota's aggressive defense.
Even though the results were mixed, the Patriots' offense had their shining moments, both in the joint practices and in the game. New England controlled the line of scrimmage for the most part in the game, and Drake Maye made some quality throws while mostly enjoying clean pockets.
The growth that Maye has shown from his rookie year to his second year was on full display, at least according to his offensive coordinator.
“I was really excited about the way he handled those practices this week,” McDaniels told MassLive's Mark Daniels. “Practice by nature is always difficult because you put yourself in a scenario where you run the same thing over and over again.
Maye didn't have a single turnover in the joint practices, which is another sign of growth. Even though the Vikings "sacked" him multiple times, Maye showed a poise that is beyond his NFL years.
Drake Maye's growth continues to shine ahead of his second season with the Patriots
It remains to be seen how many snaps Maye will see in the exhibition finale against the Giants, as the final game of the preseason often serves as the final job interview for guys trying to make the final roster. But even if Maye doesn't see the field until the season opener against Las Vegas, the growth he's showed during training camp has been paramount.
Maye was quick to point out a couple mistakes he made - including a high ball that hit off the hands of DeMario Douglas and was nearly intercepted - which is another part of leadership and accountability, two traits that Mike Vrabel has preached.
“I want to win,” Maye told Daniels. “I missed Pop high. He was wide open sitting in a zone out there. There’s a couple plays we should have back, but I thought the guys up front blocked well. It’s preseason, but these guys are still trying to tackle us and stop us."
The Patriots haven't had this type of accountability from a quarterback since Tom Brady was here. The quarterback not only has to engineer the offense, he has to have a short-term memory when mistakes happen, no matter how large or small they are.
And the fact that Maye has taken those steps only proves that he's ready to turbocharge his career and lead the Patriots back to the NFL's elite.
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