​Drake Maye Calls For More Urgency After Patriots Offense Sputters In Win originally appeared on NESN.
Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The New England Patriots won by 17 points Sunday, but Drake Maye did not sound like a quarterback interested in celebrating the offense’s performance. New England defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 20-3 behind a dominant defensive effort. Maye and the offense did enough to protect the lead, but the quarterback acknowledged that the same performance might not produce another victory.“We have got to match it and have some more urgency, and it starts in practice,” Maye said https://patriots.1rmg.com/transcripts/patriots-qb-drake-maye-postgame-transcript-9-20/during his press conference following the win.Maye went a step further when evaluating his own responsibility.“It starts with me and starts with more juice,” he said.Week Two For the QuarterbackThe Patriots quarterback finished with 208 passing yards and one interception. New England did not need him to deliver a prolific performance because Pittsburgh managed only 235 total yards, converted two of 12 third-down opportunities and failed to score a touchdown.Drake Maye on winning despite the #Patriots offense not playing at a high level:“You gotta be excited and enjoy the win, but at the same time, realize that playing like this isn’t gonna end up with us offensively leading our team to wins… It starts with me… It’s nothing to… pic.twitter.com/rGeCgZgANI— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) September 21, 2026TreVeyon Henderson provided the biggest offensive highlight with a 39-yard touchdown run. The Patriots defense handled almost everything else.Christian Barmore produced a strip-sack before Elijah Ponder returned the loose ball 19 yards for a touchdown. Gabe Jacas added an interception, and New England finished with four sacks.The 20-3 win over Pittsburgh moved the Patriots to 1-1 following their season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks.MORE: Aaron Rodgers Makes Eye-Opening Admission After Patriots’ Defensive ClinicNot Settling With WinMaye’s refusal to hide behind the final score was encouraging. New England will not face an offense as ineffective as Pittsburgh’s every week. The defense also cannot be expected to score touchdowns or consistently hold opponents to three points.The Patriots need more sustained drives, cleaner execution and fewer wasted possessions from their offense. Maye understood that his unit must eventually return the favor after being carried by the defense Sunday. The quarterback also played through difficult circumstances after guard Mike Onwenu left the game with an injury. Maye called Onwenu’s situation heartbreaking and praised the veteran for his toughness.That disruption may have contributed to New England’s inconsistency, but Maye did not use it as an excuse. The Patriots left Pittsburgh with a victory, an even record and a clear assignment from their quarterback.Pract