How Worried Should Pats Fan Chris Brockman be about Drake Maye’s Struggles?

One analyst after another has used the same word about Drake Maye's first two weeks: alarming. So Rich went straight to the show's resident Patriots fan and asked Chris whether he agrees.

"Yay," Chris said. No hedging.

What's causing it is harder to pin down. "Man, I wish I knew," Chris said. Maye himself has pointed to confidence, rushing, processing and over-processing. Chris understands the context. Week 1 was on the road against the defending champs on banner night, facing a top-five defense. Week 2 was against the Steelers, who always have a good defense, and T.J. Watt.

"But come on, man," Chris said. "You were almost MVP last year. You made it to the Super Bowl. We should be on that level still and be staying there, not looking like a bottom-half QB."

Rich agreed it's concerning, and admitted he tried to trade for Maye in his main fantasy league. He threw out a feeler and was told, "I'm going to wait." The schedule doesn't get easier, with trips to Jacksonville and Buffalo next. Chris would "love to steal one in Jacksonville this weekend."

That led to a side debate about a wager. Chris had said he'd need Del Tufo's hat if the Patriots went 1-3, and has since recanted. The room compared the Patriots' outlook with the Rams, who face Denver and Philadelphia next, and Chris said he'd be more concerned about the Rams going 1-3. The consensus was that the two teams "kind of feel like they're in the same boat."

Rich had his own fantasy interest in the backfield. Why isn't TreVeyon Henderson the lead back over Rhamondre Stevenson? Chris explained that the Patriots trust Stevenson, even after he put the ball on the ground and got benched while Henderson ripped off a 40-yard run. "I still think it's a pass protection issue with TreVeyon," Chris said. They trust Stevenson to pick up blitzes.

That made sense to Rich, who recalled a lesson from Marshall about Peyton Manning. Even as a rookie, Manning made it clear that if you couldn't pass protect on third down, he didn't want you on the field. Rich added that pass protection is also why Zeke had such a massive rookie season. He was a terrific runner, but he never came off the field because he could protect.

Then Chris delivered the number that bothers him most. Kurt Warner once said Maye's deep balls looked like handoffs, and last season Maye threw only four interceptions all year on throws over 15 yards.

"He already has four picks of those in the first two games on passes over 15 yards," Chris said. "The deep ball's just not there, whether he's not stepping into it or he's underthrowing guys or he's just not seeing them open like he did last year."

For a Patriots fan, that's the heart of it. "Drake Maye was such a home run hitter," Chris said. He wondered aloud whether trading Kayshon Boutte was a mistake, and noted that with A.J. Brown hurt, "we can't get any explosive plays downfield. That was the thing that really opened up the offense last year."

Rich offered a possible way out: Henderson. With Brown still out, he called the young back "a difference-maker." The catch is the same lesson Manning and Zeke taught: stay on the field by protecting the quarterback.