Patriots
“It’s not like he took that next step from his rookie year into his second year.”
Add Rob Gronkowski to the large contingent of fans and media members who were disheartened by the Patriots’ season-opening loss to the Raiders on Sunday.
“I think a lot of people out there bought into the hype,” the former Patriots tight end said of the Patriots’ Week 1 showing during an appearance on the “Up & Adams” show. “Everyone thought the Patriots were gonna come out flying, were gonna play with urgency. And let me tell you, it wasn’t there.”
Plenty went wrong for Mike Vrabel and the Patriots during their 20-13 loss to the Raiders.
The special-teams unit left a lot to be desired from both kicker Andy Borregales and punter Bryce Baringer, while New England’s defense surrendered nine plays of 20 or more yards to Raiders QB Geno Smith.
But, New England’s offense and Drake Maye also struggled on the gridiron at Gillette Stadium, especially in the second half.
Maye had a strong start, completing 14-of-20 throws for 150 yards and a touchdown as New England entered halftime with a 10-7 lead.
But things unraveled in the third and fourth quarters. Maye threw an interception on New England’s first drive of the third quarter, with New England punting on their next four drives as the Raiders built a lead that it would not relinquish.
As Maye and the Patriots look to bounce back in Week 2 against the Dolphins, Gronkowski stressed that he wants to see more assertiveness from New England’s QB moving forward.
“Drake Maye had a pretty decent game, but it’s not like he took that next step from his rookie year into his second year,” Gronkowski said. “And usually that’s when NFL players make their biggest step in their career.
“It’s from being a young buck, maturing and going into your second and third year. But we did not see that with Drake Maye. He still played pretty good, but he just looked a little timid out there as well.”
Both Maye and Mike Vrabel have faced questions this week about whether or not Maye has “too much on his plate” out of the gate while learning Josh McDaniels’ intricate offense.
Speaking on Wednesday, Maye said that he hasn’t seen any major changes in terms of his prep work and how much his coaches are throwing at him.
“Any team, we’re trying to establish the run,” Maye said. “So, from that point, I think you win games running the football and stopping the run, so trying to set that up.
“I feel like the guys, we’ve got guys that we can throw to in space and make plays, and we can hurt teams in the pass. So, I don’t feel like anything’s changed, and I’m just trying to do my part in whatever they ask me to do.”
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