Drake Maye Gets Unexpected Defense As Rob Gronkowski Blames Patriots’ Offense For Ugly Start

Drake Maye came into this season with expectations that few young quarterbacks have to handle. He was coming off a Super Bowl appearance, finished second in the MVP voting and had already shown New England that he could carry a big part of its offense.

Three weeks later, Maye's confidence appears to have dropped. The Patriots are 1-2, while Maye has thrown six interceptions and scored only one touchdown. New England is averaging 12 points per game, showing how badly the offense has struggled. Those results have brought more attention and pressure on Maye whenever the Patriots fail to score.

Rob Gronkowski Sees Something Different With Drake Maye

That is where Rob Gronkowski offered a different view of what is happening. Speaking on Up & Adams , the former Patriots star argued that the problem is much bigger than Maye simply playing poorly.

"They do need A.J. Brown back," Gronkowski said. "There is literally no one open on the field."

Gronkowski believes New England's receivers are making Maye's job harder by failing to get open. Instead of making clear, simple throws, Maye often has to pass into tight coverage.

"He's gonna have to stick it in every single time into a tight window," Gronkowski said. His comment shows how little room Maye has to make mistakes.

Gronkowski did not clear Maye of responsibility for the offense's problems. He said the quarterback must become more confident, but he also stressed that the entire offense must improve.

A.J. Brown's Absence Has Exposed The Bigger Issue

A.J. Brown joined New England from Philadelphia to give the offense another proven outside receiver. He caught four passes for 51 yards and a touchdown in the opener before a high ankle sprain sent him to injured reserve.

New England's offense has struggled without Brown. His absence has left Maye with one fewer reliable target in the passing game.

Maye completed 14 of 25 passes for 199 yards against Jacksonville . He also threw two interceptions and lost a fumble before being removed late in the 35-6 loss.

The Patriots scored only six points in that game. Their poor performance showed that the offense has problems beyond one player or one position.

The turnovers remain a major concern. Six interceptions in three games have repeatedly ended drives and given opponents more chances with the ball.

Gronkowski pointed to another problem that does not always appear in the main statistics. New England's receivers have struggled to get open, leaving Maye with fewer safe passing options.

That makes Maye's job harder when a play breaks down. It also gives him less room to make a mistake when he must hold the ball or force a difficult throw.

"There's only so much you can do as an offensive coordinator," Gronkowski said, pointing to the talent and the lack of receivers getting open consistently.

Brown's return could help with more than his own catches. He would give Maye another proven target and force defenses to cover more of the field.

Brown can return in Week 6. By then, the Patriots may have a better idea of whether Maye is the main problem or just one part of a struggling offense.