Drake Maye Admits Patriots’ Long Layoff Made Week 1 Loss Tougher To Shake

The New England Patriots had more time than usual to process everything that went wrong in their season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks .

Quarterback Drake Maye is not convinced that was necessarily helpful. New England opened its season Wednesday night, giving the Patriots several extra days before beginning preparations for their Week 2 matchup. Instead of quickly returning to the facility and shifting his attention to another opponent, Maye had an entire weekend to replay the frustrating moments from the 13-10 loss.

"It's tough," Maye told reporters. "You have a lot of time to think about it."

Maye usually follows the NFL's unofficial 24-hour rule. He evaluates the previous game, learns from it and then attempts to move forward. The unusual Wednesday opener disrupted that routine.

"I think that definitely over the weekend, you're watching it and thinking about it," Maye said. "Usually, I have kind of the 24 hours. You think about it on Sunday night, for sure, and then Monday you watch it and kind of get rid of it.

"This time it was Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, and we got in there on Sunday. It just felt longer."

Drake Maye Knows Patriots Must Correct Costly Mistakes

Maye had plenty to consider during the extended break.

The Patriots held a 10-0 lead late in the third quarter but could not close out the Seahawks. Maye threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter, including one in the end zone with 26 seconds remaining that eliminated New England's final opportunity to win.

Head coach Mike Vrabel said after the game that the Patriots wanted Maye to remain aggressive without becoming reckless. The young quarterback delivered a similar assessment after having several days to review his performance.

New England cannot afford to let one loss follow it into the next week. However, Maye also knows that moving on does not mean ignoring the problems that led to the defeat.

"At the same time, it's something this league is about," Maye said. "It's about playing a game you wish you could have done things better and being able to bounce back."

The Patriots have only played one game, but Maye understands how quickly a season can move. New England will have to eliminate the turnovers and late-game breakdowns before facing the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 20.

"You realize it's Week 1, but at the same time, you have to fix these things quick and in a hurry," Maye said. "Because these things are not going to win you football games. It's the stuff that gets you beat."

The extra time gave Maye an opportunity to confront every costly mistake. Now the Patriots need to prove they learned from them.