During Friday night’s preseason opener against the Commanders, Patriots quarterback Drake Maye tried turn nothing into something. It turned into something bad for the Patriots.
Maye tried to force a throw while being sacked. He fumbled. (It looked a little like a play that was attempted against Washington by an AFC East team in something that wasn’t a preseason game.)
The moment became a topic during coach Mike Vrabel’s post-game press conference. Which became a moment of its own. As moments from Vrabel press conferences now do.
“Thoughts on Drake [Maye]’s performance,” a reporter said. “I am sure the turnover probably annoyed you with what he did.”
“Are you asking and answering a question at the same time?” Vrabel said. “Is that what you’re doing?”
“I got you,” the reporter replied. “Your thoughts?”
“I would say you about summed it up,” Vrabel said. “That’s a bad decision. I think we’re going to need better from him. And I think he knows that. That’s obvious. It wasn’t there. We just have to be able to find a way to get rid of the football or take a sack and punt and play defense. But to the defense’s credit, they forced a field goal I think that was missed maybe.”
He’s right. The 49-yard field goal attempt by Matt Gay was wide left. So the Patriots lost no points on the exchange.
Still, if Maye makes plays like that in games that count, it will be very hard for the Patriots to be much better than they’ve been since Vrabel and the Titans put a fork in the Tom Brady-Bill Belichick partnership to launch the 2019 postseason.
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