Drake Maye rides rookie roller coaster and more Patriots-Titans takeaways

Fresh off their second win of the season, the New England Patriots traveled to Nashville to take on one of the worst teams in football. If ever there was a win this season, this is it. Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be: The Patriots looked the way they had for most of the season, simply unable to play consistent football to secure a win.

Let's move on to our takeaways from the 20-17 overtime loss to the Tennessee Titans.

Drake Maye is riding the rookie roller coaster

The Patriots have a big need to improve their team, but quarterback doesn't seem to be one of them. In just his fourth career start, Drake Maye has made some absolutely incredible plays.

The last play in regulation was, of course, one of the best plays you'll ever see from a QB. He just ran around for almost 11 seconds, fended off a sack attempt, and then somehow found Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone as he was tackled by two defenders.

Maye's ability to improvise and come off the bench are two of the main reasons the Patriots selected him third overall in April. This was evident in the last regular game against the Titans.

However, there were also some really bad plays. The strip sack from behind was also brutal and the first interception was perhaps the worst throw he made all day. His game-winning interception in overtime also left him scratching his head and a play he wanted back.

“Some decisions I made during the game would have influenced the result,” he said after the game. “I'll take it upon myself. These guys fought at the front. The receivers struggled. I thought I found a way at the end of the fourth, but I just came up short. I have to go back and learn from it, especially myself, I have to use it and take advantage of the reps that I get in the game and I have to play better.”

The simple fact is that Drake Maye can make plays that not many players in the NFL can make, but he can also make some bad plays from time to time. You have to live with them because the great plays will be worth it.

Remember how bad Josh Allen was in his first two seasons? Maye does this in the first half of his first season, and it's pretty impressive. Now it's all about growth, and the Patriots are making it easier for him by adding more talent around him, especially on offense.

He will continue to ride the rookie roller coaster for now and hopes to do better as a result.

“He will learn from his mistakes. “That's one thing if you want to go back to a characteristic, he learns from his mistakes and gets better because of them,” head coach Jerod Mayo said.

“I think sometimes, as well as he played, you forget how young he is. And he’s going to continue to develop and be a good quarterback in this league.”

The running game just doesn't get going

When the season began, it looked like the Patriots were going to be a running team; In fact, they said it themselves. However, over the last three games, Rhamondre Stevenson has 82 rushing yards on 37 carries, which is just 2.2 yards per carry.

Now, I won't use the “S” word, but if you want to be seen as a strong team, you have to do better. That certainly wasn't the case for the Patriots on Sunday: Aside from Drake Maye gaining 95 yards on eight scrambles, the team only had 15 yards and one touchdown on 12 carries.

“It can get frustrating, especially when we lose,” Stevenson said after the game. “If we won I wouldn’t be so frustrated, but when you put the two together it’s very frustrating.”

The hope is that by building some continuity on the offensive line and perhaps mixing up some play calls, the Patriots can turn things around on the ground. Forcing the rookie quarterback to put the offense on his shoulders every week is not a winning formula.

Marcus Jones ready for a bigger role?

Another bright spot for the Patriots was Marcus Jones. He played pretty well on defense, but special teams is where he really shined on Sunday.

First, he had a 44-yard punt return that he lined up inside his own 5-yard line. The fearlessness of taking the ball and returning it from there is one of the things that makes him so much fun to watch. He also had a 25-yard runback at the end of the game to get the Patriots to midfield as time was running out and the Patriots were down seven points.

Once he has the ball in his hands, his explosiveness stands out, and one wonders if the Patriots should try to get him the ball in other ways. They used him on offense at times in 2022, and given their lack of firepower on that side of the ball, that could be a consideration again.

Hunter Henry is the Patriots' most reliable receiver

The Patriots may not employ many blue-chip weapons on offense, but the most reliable weapon they have continues to be Hunter Henry. He just constantly comes into play and catches most of the passes that come his way. He may not be the most explosive player on the team, but when the Patriots need a conversion – like on fourth down at the end of the game – he comes up big.

Henry once again led the team in receptions, catching seven passes for 56 yards. If the Patriots can get some other receivers playing well, they might be able to make things a little easier for Drake Maye.

Situational football is a problem

The Patriots have consistently struggled with situational football this year, and Sunday was no exception. After making two quick passes to Kendrick Bourne to start their final drive of the second quarter, the Patriots decided to run the ball up the middle on the next two plays, ending the series and forcing them to return the ball to throw to the Titans.

The Patriots need to figure out what they're trying to do, and the playcalling in these situations has been concerning. They need to find a solution because at the moment they are hurting their chances of winning by the way they end their attacks at the end of the half.

Shaking up the offensive line doesn't work

The Patriots have had major issues with offensive line continuity this year, so fielding a different offensive line on Sunday was a confusing decision – even though everyone was healthy. For some reason, they decided to put Layden Robinson at right guard and move Michael Onwenu back to right tackle.

It was a plan that backfired almost immediately, as Robinson was unable to block against Jeffery Simmons to save his life and was benched after 21 snaps.

“Mike ended up covering,” Jerod Mayo said after the game. We felt we had to take on one of their best players. If you watch the film, you'll notice again that the inside of the bag was soft at times. We thought it would be best for the team to use our best player.”

For a team that struggles on the O-line, you have to wonder why they ever thought mixing things up would be a good idea.

There are still coaching mistakes

The decision to shake up the offensive line was far from the only strange decision made by the coaching staff. Defensive play was also difficult all day.

Yes, the Patriots are shorthanded defensively, but they were completely unable to stop the run and seemed content to just let the Titans shove the ball down their throats. They also played coverage most of the game, which made it pretty easy for Mason Rudolph – I repeat, Mason Rudolph – to carve up the defense with ease: Tennessee's backup QB finished the game with 20 completions on 33 attempts for 290 yards and two touchdowns and an interception.

The offense was similarly confusing as they couldn't run the ball with their backs all game and there were some really strange swing passes that had no chance of working from the start.

You also have to wonder how prepared the Patriots are for their games. The mental mistakes they make seem to be piling up every week and the head coach is responsible for preparing them. Most of the coaching staff is brand new and learning on the job, but they'll have to deal with that soon because the Patriots need to right their ship – and make sure they have the right coaches for the squad to improve.

Ja'Lynn Polk should sit

Ja'Lynn Polk needs some time off. The Patriots' second-round draft pick played just nine offensive snaps on Sunday and still managed to finish with two penalties.

During training camp he showed he has the potential to contribute on an NFL team, but his mind doesn't seem to be in the right place right now and he should be a healthy guy until he can get things straightened out. With limited weapons available on offense, the Patriots can't afford to have guys out there who can't be trusted to make positive contributions.

The trade deadline is approaching

With less than 48 hours until the NFL trade deadline, the Patriots have some decisions to make. They are a team rebuilding, but that doesn't necessarily mean they shouldn't look to add talent to their roster at the trade deadline.

They have to be careful because they don't want to give up too much to get a player unless they see him as a real asset to the team's future, and they also don't want to trade away players who could be a part too be their future. They have to go the route of parting ways with players they don't consider key players, getting as many advantages as possible and also building their team for the future.

In the end, it's probably best to just take a few small steps, but they should call any players they think could help them.

The Patriots travel to Chicago next week

Next week in Chicago, the first and third overall picks will face off. The Patriots defense will have a lot of work to do with Caleb Williams and the rest of the weapons in this Bears offense, and their defense has been pretty solid as well. It will be a tough game, but it should be fun to watch what could be the league's two best quarterbacks play in their first seasons for years to come.