Vrabel Waves Off Maye Worries, But the Patriots QB Is Pressing
Maye went 14-of-22 for 208 yards and another interception in Week 2, and his coach shut down the concern questions cold.
Rushing floor keeps him startable, but the passing dip is real.
- Week 2: 14-of-22, 208 yards, 1 INT
- Three fourth-quarter INTs in Week 1
- 2025: 4,394 pass yds, 31 TD, 8 INT
- Our rank #9 overall, #3 among QBs
- Road trips to Jacksonville and Buffalo loom
New England got the win, and Mike Vrabel would very much like you to leave it there. When reporters pressed him after Sunday's game about whether Drake Maye is pressing, the Patriots coach cut two of them off mid-question, telling them they weren't going to ruin his Sunday and to circle back tomorrow. That's not the answer of a coach with nothing to worry about.
And there is something to worry about. Maye followed up a three-interception fourth quarter in Week 1 with a 14-of-22, 208-yard, one-pick line in Week 2 — including a puzzling turnover that came right after a long connection to Romeo Doubs. Two games, two ugly interceptions in the most important moments. For a quarterback we ranked #9 overall and #3 at the position, that's a slow start.
Context Vrabel Won't Say Out Loud
The deflection makes sense from a competitive standpoint. New England needed this game badly with a road trip to Jacksonville and then a Buffalo date on the schedule. Winning ugly is still winning, and Vrabel isn't going to hand Maye's detractors a headline in his own postgame presser. But the clipped tone tells you the coaching staff sees the same tape everyone else does.
The Fantasy Read
Here's the thing that keeps Maye afloat for fantasy managers: the arm isn't the whole story. He posted 354 PPR points across 17 games in 2025, and a chunk of that came on the ground — 450 rush yards and four rushing scores. His last five games ran 1.7 fantasy points above his season average heading into this year, so the rushing floor is legitimate even on nights when the passing gets sloppy.
That dual-threat profile is why you don't panic-cut a top-three quarterback after two games. The interceptions are a concern, and if you're streaming, there are safer weeks against Jacksonville and Buffalo on deck. But the ceiling that made him a QB3 hasn't gone anywhere.
Verdict: hold, and keep starting him in 12-team leagues. Maye's legs cover for a lot, and one clean passing game flips this narrative fast. Just temper expectations for the road stretch — and if a nervous manager in your league wants to sell, that's your cue to check the price.
