Patriots mailbag: What’s wrong with Drake Maye? Who’s to blame?

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FOXBOROUGH – What is wrong with Drake Maye? Who do we blame?

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Those are some of the questions on Patriots’ fans mind this week after another disappointing performance from Maye and the offense. Coming off a blowout loss in Jacksonville, all eyes are on the quarterback this week as the Patriots travel to Buffalo for another tough matchup.

Last year, the Patriots were 2-2 when they took on their division rival and upset the Bills in their home stadium. That jumpstarted Mike Vrabel’s team and they completed a 10-game winning streak.

A great way for the Patriots to get back on track is to upset the Bills once again.

For that to happen, Maye need to rebound and make better decisions. We talk about that and more in our Week 4 Patriots mailbag:

@TannedCans: The players are not practicing well Coach Vrabel said. Is it possible he has lost the Locker room after his offseason troubles?

Vrabel tackled that head on, meeting with players this offseason. Several veteran players said they appreciated their coach’s words and candor about the situation. I don’t get the sense that is impacting the team. It feels more like depth and quarterback decision-making issues.

@mr_jacobjon: Realistically AJ coming back when cleared, we can’t assume he’s going to be as good as he was prior to the injury. Is this current wide receiver group going to ever click? Or are they gonna continue to drop passes when they matter and run bad routes?

I’m concerned about this as well. I don’t see the progress from Kyle Williams or DeMario Douglas. Right now, Mack Hollins is the top receiver. That’s because he knows the playbook and has good hands. Romeo Doubs might be a more complete receiver than Kayshon Boutte, but is he a better fit in the offense with Maye at quarterback? This group missed A.J. Brown and I think even at 70% he’d make everyone around him better. That’s the hope. Until he returns, it would be nice to see a receiver dominate.

@6LombardisNE·Sep 29Why is Josh McDaniels so predictable? Does he not know how to adjust from a formula that clearly isn’t working?

Let’s boil it down: Maye is making bad decisions, throwing the ball to the other team. The offensive line is on its third right guard and its right tackle is hobbled. The receivers are without their best player and no one outside of Hollins is really stepping up. The Patriots also can’t run the ball. Hunter Henry has been on a pitch count as well. McDaniels system works. We saw that last season. But the Patriots have so many issues, I’m not sure it’s fair to blame the playcalling or playcaller.

@JoseArmando: Realistically how do the patriots beat the bills this Sunday in buffalo?

Turnovers. The Bills have a minus-2 turnover Margin this season. The Patriots need to add to that. If they win the turnover battle, they could upset the Bills in Buffalo. A defensive touchdown or a special teams touchdown would also be nice, but if the offense can play a clean game and the defense can turnover the ball, I could see an upset.

@William86395124: Is Maye throwing to his receivers after practice? Do you think lack of practice & conditioning is contributing to all the Pats injuries? Is Maye in the film room when not practicing? Why did the Pats sign a fullback but aren’t using him?

So many good questions here, William.

I’ll answer rapid fire:

- Yes, Maye throws to his receivers after practice – or I think so. He did in training camp. That’s the last time we saw a complete practice. Maye was always working after.

- That’s a great question and something Vrabel needs to look at. The Patriots injure reserve has already surpassed all of last season. Is it just bad luck or are the Patriots doing something different in practice, in the weight room or training room? They need to figure out that answer.

- Yes, Maye is a workhorse. He watches a ton of film. Preparation isn’t the problem. To me, it feels like the problem is mental and part of the issue is the pass protection. He got hit a ton in the playoffs. Are we seeing effects of that?

- Reggie Gilliam has had a knee injury since the offseason. It doesn’t seem to be going away. That’s not ideal since the team also lost blocking tight end Julian Hill.

@Trill_Parcells: The best way to protect a QB making insane decisions is to run the ball. Unfortunately it appears at least 2 of their first 3 opponents clearly knew their run tells based on personnel packages. Have you noticed any ingenuity from McDaniels on that front? Do you anticipate any?

Unfortunately, the Patriots run game doesn’t look that exotic. You can blame McDaniels, if you want. Part of the issue, however, is the offensive line. The Patriots can’t run behind the right side of the line right now. That’s easy to game plan for. I would like to see McDaniels get more creative but also wonder if he has the players to do what he wants based on their depth and talent level.

@newyorkpatroit: Worried about the right side of the o line

Same. The Patriots will be on their third right guard in three games. Morgan Moses didn’t look good in Jacksonville and was hobbled due to a foot injury. Should the Patriots turn to rookie Caleb Lomu with Moses hurt? Would he be better than a limited Moses? At this point, maybe, but it’s not ideal. I also want to see the Patriots

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