How the Patriots' rookie QB performed in his first NFL start

The New England Patriots got their first real glimpse of the future on Sunday as rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his first NFL start.

The North Carolina product led New England's offense against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday. The game was a mixed bag for Maye: She threw three touchdown passes and turned the ball over three times in a 41-21 loss, the Patriots' fifth straight loss.

The results didn't translate to victory and the Patriots clearly still have a long way to go in this rebuild, but Maye showed more quarterback optimism in New England than he has in several years.

Maye finished the day for the Patriots by going 20-for-33 through the air for 243, with three passing touchdowns and two interceptions with a lost fumble. There's a lot to improve on, especially when it comes to ball security, but Maye showed promise, which should please the Patriots for now.

Let's evaluate the rookie quarterback in his first starting lineup of his career for the Patriots.

POSITIVE
Passing game downfield
Quarterbacks in the post-Tom Brady era simply never found the consistency to push the ball down the field with a vertical passing attack. It didn't exist. Cam Newton and Mac Jones have had a handful in their tenures, but New England has struggled to create big plays over the past four years.

Maye's first touchdown pass was a perfect ball down the sideline that sent Kayshon Boutte breaking tight coverage. The Patriots don't see these throws very often anymore, and they immediately provide the spark New England was hoping for when it made the quarterback change in Week 6.

The quarterback later found capable receiver Demario Douglas for a 35-yard touchdown on a catch and run after Maye fired the pass with pressure into the pocket.

mobility
Jones didn't have a backup option during his tenure in New England, further limiting his ability to ignite the offense in his steep decline after a promising rookie season in 2021.

Maye excelled as a playmaker in college and extended plays multiple times for the Patriots on Sunday. He stayed alive to make throws and also had five carries for 38 yards.

Maye was New England's leading rusher in the game since Rhamondre Stevenson was sidelined with a foot injury.

participation
The Patriots don't exactly offer Maye an electrifying group of talented players to turn to when making plays. The rookie still found a way to distribute the ball on Sunday, hitting eight different receivers for New England. Douglas led the way with six catches for 92 yards and a touchdown.

NEGATIVE
Sales
Maye threw two interceptions in the loss. The first attack falls entirely on him, airmailing a pass on an open cross route to Douglas, who easily hits Houston defender Calen Bullock.

The second interception came near the line of scrimmage when Maye looked for Antonio Gibson and fell into the arms of Houston defensive back Eric Murray. Maye scored a third turnover with a strip sack. Those three turnovers (New England had four on the day) resulted in 10 points for the Texans, widening the gap that already existed between the teams in Foxboro on Sunday.

There is no doubt that Maye's debut caused the most concern with the Patriots.

consciousness
Maye lost the ball on a strip sack when Texas edge rusher Danielle Hunter beat New England's pass block to get to the quarterback. Hunter came directly toward Maye in the quarterback's line of sight, not on the blind side.

Awareness wasn't a major disadvantage and the Patriots have a terrible line overall, but Maye couldn't prevent disaster on a play that gave the Texans another score.

OVERALL GRADE:B-
This grade should probably be a C+ for sales. With that in mind, Maye showed all the reasons why the Patriots selected him and should believe he is the quarterback to rely on for years to come.

There will be growing pains and you can't expect perfection from the newcomer, especially when there is a complete lack of help in the squad. When he takes care of the ball, Maye's encouraging performance looks even better. This is the ultimate key for him to lead to short-term improvements for the Patriots.

The Patriots face another struggling team on international soil in Week 7 in London against the Jacksonville Jaguars.