NFL Network’s Kurt Warner Breaks Down Drake Maye, Raiders & Kyler Murray

Is Drake Maye back? Kurt Warner isn't ready to say it. But he saw enough to call it a step in the right direction.

"I'm not going to say he's back yet," Warner told Rich. "Let's just take baby steps here."

What changed in New England's last game was how Maye played the position. Warner said he leaned on his athleticism, and that may be the key to unlocking the version of Maye from last regular season.

"Drop back. If you don't see it, go create and make some plays," Warner said, describing the approach. "Maybe that's the step that he needs to getting back to what we saw last year." Maye made some throws down the field, but more important were the quick decisions and the plays he made with his legs when nothing was open. "It just felt like he got more into a rhythm because of that."

That matters because the Patriots draw the Raiders this week, and Warner has had a change of heart about Las Vegas. Raider Nation has made sure he remembers saying on game day morning a couple of weeks ago that the Raiders were fake, based on who they had played and beaten.

"These last two weeks to me have convinced me of some things, that this team is better than I thought they were," Warner said.

He pointed to three reasons. Kirk Cousins is "playing some really good football." Brock Bowers being back is "a difference-maker for this team." And the defense is holding up, even after giving up some big plays in a competitive game against the Chiefs.

"I think this team is for real also," Warner said. "I definitely think they're formidable against the Patriots, no doubt."

Then Rich gave Warner a three-part question on Minnesota: what is going on with Kyler Murray, what can you hang your hat on, and is Carson Wentz around the corner?

Warner started with the defense. "Their defense is balling out," he said. That unit, plus a running game that's decent enough to keep the offense afloat, is why the Vikings are winning. The quarterback spot is another matter.

With Wentz, Warner said, you get big plays, but you might also get turnovers and missed opportunities. With Murray, the offense just hasn't found its rhythm.

"When the first read's there, Kyler can throw it as well as anybody," Warner said. The problem comes when it isn't. If Murray doesn't see the picture downfield once he sets his feet, "he gets very impatient as a quarterback and it's either take off and move or find a check down really quickly."

That is a mismatch with what Kevin O'Connell wants to run. Warner said the offense is built on a quarterback holding the ball and throwing it down the field, especially with Justin Jefferson, and that's where Wentz gives Minnesota an advantage.

"That to me is the disconnect right now," Warner said. "When you have to be patient as a quarterback, Kyler just isn't there yet." The result is a stagnant offense that isn't generating big plays or pushing the ball downfield, and that is a big reason the Vikings aren't scoring many points.

The pattern Warner keeps coming back to across all three quarterbacks is the same: patience in the pocket, or the lack of it, is deciding who is clicking and who isn't.