Why Patriots’ Drake Maye ‘Mad’ After Rewatching Game-Extending Highlight

Drake Maye was left kicking himself about the play everyone else got a kick out of.

The New England Patriots rookie quarterback made his first play on his career highlight reel with his game-extending touchdown pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. You’ve surely seen it by now as Maye’s elusiveness and flick of the wrist on the final play of regulation resulted in the Patriots forcing overtime against the Tennessee Titans.

Maye, however, wished he made it easier on himself and his team.

“They popped Cover 2, and I had Hunter (Henry) within the first couple seconds of the play,” Maye told reporters at Gillette Stadium on Wednesday, per a team-provided video.

“I could have made it a lot easier in the back end zone. Other than that, just making a play and keeping the play alive. But really probably just more mad at myself for not making the play, having the play a lot less stressful.”

Sure, it was a bit stressful for the group as well as the Foxboro Faithful. But the fact Maye delivered heroics with the clock at zero is all anyone will remember.

The snap was made a bit more difficult when Henry drifted out of bounds in the back of the end zone. The trusted tight end then took himself out of the play given he would have been penalized if he was the first to touch the football.

Maye joked about Henry’s “veteran move.”

“He’s kind of just waving in the back,” Maye said with a laugh. “We were just laughing after the game about it. Those are the things you remember, looking back 20 years remember a play like that. So, it was a veteran move.”

Maye said he figured Henry took himself out of the play because he stepped out. The Titans defender guarding Henry dropped out of coverage and added to Tennessee’s rush, ultimately delivering the hit that sent Maye to the ground.

“Just lucky we ended up scoring and forcing overtime,” Maye said.

It wouldn’t have been as theatrical if Maye just found Henry right after the snap. The dramatics made it memorable.