It’s an extremely lethal combination – Drake Maye’s happy feet and opponents cranking up the heat on the third-year quarterback. Fortunately, the New England Patriots survived it on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers in the 20-3 victory.
According to Pro Football Focus, through the first two weeks, Maye has faced the fourth-most pressure in the league.
And he has not handled it well.
The Patriots QB, who posted a 75.6 rating in Sunday’s win, has earned just a 26.8 PFF grade under pressure.
To contrast that, Chicago’s Caleb Williams, who is No. 1 on the list, and Miami’s Malik Willis, each have earned grades of 50.
The Patriots certainly know they have a pressure problem.
“We have to do a better job and continue to do a good job of helping our quarterback be efficient, and he has a large part in that,” said head coach Mike Vrabel. “But we know that that’s the formula.”
Opponents know it, too. Steelers’ defensive coordinator Patrick Graham blitzed Cooper Rush and the Atlanta Falcons less than 10 percent of the time in Week 1. This week, he blitzed Maye and Co. over 50 percent of the time.
Maye’s issues with pocket presence, especially under pressure, will continue to be a point o...