Former New England Patriots star Rob Gronkowski offered both praise and strategy when discussing second-year quarterback Drake Maye’s strong start, revealing how opposing defenses might try to contain him.
On the latest episode of Up & Adams with Kay Adams, Gronkowski broke down Maye’s tendencies and explained how he would plan to neutralize the young quarterback if he were game-planning against him.
“The way that he rolls out to the right and how accurate that he is when he's on the run to his right. If I was a team, I would try to force him to the left because no one's seen him go to the left yet,” Gronkowski said. “But when he rolls out to the right and he's able to release that pass, it's pretty phenomenal what he can do and how accurate he is.”
When asked to elaborate, Gronkowski continued to highlight Maye’s precision and vision on the move.
“I mean, I’ve never seen him go to the left. When he’s in the pocket, he’s got great pocket presence. He’s very accurate as well out of the pocket when he rolls to the right – very accurate as well,” he said. “He can see the field better than basically any other quarterback when rolling to the right and he can put it right on the money. You saw that pass to Stefon Diggs, that deep one as well. There’s another couple of other ones, but he’s never rolled to his left before.”
Rob Gronkowski says defenses should force Drake Maye left as Patriots QB stays hot
Gronkowski then detailed how he would approach defending Maye’s movement.
“So with me watching, I never seen him roll to his left. So if I’m a team, I would kind of bring more of a pass rush off of the right so he cannot get out, you know when he scrambles to that side and force him to go left and see what he can do,” he said. “Cause the way you turn your body, it’s totally different mechanics when you’re rolling out to your left and to your right. So, if I was a team, I would force him to go that way to see what he brings to the table.”
Maye, 23, has impressed through five games of his second NFL season. He has thrown for 1,261 yards with a 73.9% completion rate, a 107.8 passer rating, and a 63.9 quarterback rating. He’s accounted for seven passing touchdowns and two interceptions, while rushing for 110 yards and two additional scores on 27 carries.
In New England’s 23-20 Week 5 win over the Buffalo Bills, Maye completed 73.3% of his passes for 273 yards with a 101.1 passer rating, continuing to show poise under pressure. His ability to extend plays has been central to the Patriots’ 3-2 start under head coach Mike Vrabel.
The Patriots will next travel to face the New Orleans Saints (1-4) on Sunday, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
