Stop piling on Drake Maye. A deep dive look at his struggles, what's failing around him and why Patriots should believe he'll bounce back

Key Points:

• The New England Patriots' offense has struggled in the first three weeks of the 2026 season after a strong 2025, with issues attributed to a tougher schedule, a young quarterback in Drake Maye facing league adjustments, injuries, and underwhelming or misused personnel.
• Despite a high turnover rate, Maye's overall decision-making and efficiency remain solid, ranking above many peers in dropback success rate and showing strong down-to-down performance, though his aggressive style and limited supporting talent contribute to mistakes.
• The Patriots' offensive scheme lacks creativity and fails to utilize key players effectively, such as receiver Romeo Doubs being misused on vertical routes instead of his strength on breaking routes, and an overly simplistic run game that is telegraphed and ineffective at generating big plays.
• Injuries to key players like A.J. Brown and tight end Eli Raridon have hampered the offense, but their expected returns along with a slightly easier upcoming schedule could help improve performance.
• Despite current struggles, Maye's early career metrics position him among the top young quarterbacks historically, indicating strong potential if the Patriots can improve their offensive scheme and supporting cast.