Drake Maye ran for nine touchdowns in his final year at North Carolina — five of them from 1 yard out.
And when the New England Patriots twice needed a single yard for a first down inside the Arizona 5 on Sunday, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt twice called for handoffs. First Antonio Gibson, then Rhamondre Stevenson was stopped for no gain, and the Patriots turned it over on downs.
“I was a good quarterback sneaker in college,” Maye told reporters on Sunday after the 30-17 loss to the Cardinals. “I’m a big dude. I’m heavier than people think, so I think there may be a conversation for that. I think it’s tough to stop a 6- 5 dude for 1 yard.”
Asked if the team should consider letting Maye keep it in those situations, coach Jerod Mayo said on Sunday, “You said it. I didn’t.”
The response led to speculation that he was second-guessing his offensive coordinator, but Mayo later walked back his comment.
“I didn’t mean anything by that,” he said on Monday, a day after the Cardinals extended New England’s losing streak to four games. “All of those decisions are mine.”
Mayo said he was on the same page as his offensive play-caller.
“We have quarterback-designed runs, just haven’t pulled them out yet, so there’s no disagreement,” he said. “I think Alex and the offensive staff do a good job putting together the game plan. I go in there, I offer my 2 cents, and we come out of the room as a unit.”
The Patriots lost another chance at a short field in the third quarter when Jonathan Jones picked off Kyler Murray at the Arizona 18, but the interception was negated by a questionable roughing the passer penalty against linebacker Anfernee Jennings.
What’s working
Maye continues to develop as the quarterback of the future. The No. 3 overall draft pick completed 19 of 23 passes for 202 yards and a touchdown, and he also ran for a score. Maye was 10 for 10 for 71 yards in the first half.
But more than half of Maye’s production came in garbage time, when the game was essentially out of reach. After completing 2 of 6 passes for 11 yards and an interception in the third quarter, Maye was 7 for 7 for 120 yards and a touchdown in the fourth, after the Patriots trailed 23-3.
His 5-yard TD run made it 30-17 with 1:55 left.
What needs help
The Patriots’ failure — twice — to gain 1 yard from inside the Arizona 5 left them 29th in the NFL at converting in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on 46% of their opportunities.
“There comes a point in time as a football team where everyone in the stadium knows what the play is and we just have to move bodies,” Mayo said. “We weren’t able to do that.”
Stock up
Defensive back Christian Gonzalez was matched up against first-round draft pick Marvin Harrison Jr. for most of the game on Sunday and limited him to one catch for 23 yards on five targets. (Harrison caught one other pass in the game). Gonzalez was credited with New England’s only three pass breakups of the day.
“He’s our best player on defense, and he proved that,” Mayo said. “Just a guy that goes out there and competes on a down-after-down basis, and he did a good job for us.”
Stock down
K Joey Slye missed a 53-yard field-goal attempt at the end of New England’s first possession. Slye missed two kicks the previous week (though one was a 68-yard attempt at the end of the game that would have been the longest kick in NFL history), and his only try the week before that.
Injuries
LB Christian Ellis left in the fourth quarter with a head injury and did not return.
Key number
4 — Maye is the fourth Patriots quarterback to complete every pass in the first half with at least 10 attempts. Tom Brady did it twice (once in the playoffs), and Hugh Millen went 13 for 13 in the first half against the Bills in 1992.
Next steps
The Patriots have two games against Buffalo sandwiched around one against the Los Angeles Chargers.
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