Drake Maye Reveals Lesson Learned From Patriots’ ‘Wake-Up Call’ Loss

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots could use their Week 15 loss to the Buffalo Bills as a valuable learning experience.

New England ended a 10-game winning streak and missed a chance to win the division when a 21-0 lead evaporated at home last Sunday. Maye reflected on the missed opportunity before a Week 16 clash with the Baltimore Ravens.

Former Patriots champion Devin McCourty asked Maye about lessons learned from the Bills loss in an NBC interview before the “Sunday Night Football” showcase.

“When you get a lead, it’s what we’ve been saying all season, is finally somebody came back and beat us,” Maye said. “Don’t let up. Just don’t lay off the gas.”

New England scored three touchdowns on its first four drives, but the offense lost six yards on a three-and-out to start the second half before Maye threw an interception on the ensuing series. TreVeyon Henderson put the Patriots ahead with a 65-yard rushing touchdown assisted by Maye’s downfield blocking, but their final two possession went minus-two yards on seven plays.

Maye told McCourty that the offense must remain aggressive and keep piling on points. The 23-year-old also took accountability for the lackluster finish at home.

“It’s a natural habit of getting comfortable when you have a 21-0 lead or 24-7 going into halftime, and you can’t let up against good teams,” Maye said. “You can’t go out and do what we did in the second half. And me personally, missing throws and missing guys open.”

The Week 15 loss may have given the Patriots a helpful reminder about the importance of playing a full 60 minutes.

“It’s never over,” Maye said. “It’s the NFL. You move on to next week and realize that, that’s kind of a wake-up call for us. When we got the lead … we got to keep our foot on the pedal and keep going.”