PATRIOTS QUARTERBACK DRAKE MAYE
PRESS CONFERENCE
December 17, 2025
Q: We saw Terrell [Williams] in the locker room when we were in there today. I was just wondering, is it nice seeing him around?
DM: Coach T [Terrell Williams], it's awesome seeing him around. Anytime he's around, it brings joy to us. It brings joy to the locker room. It brings joy to see his face, see how he's doing. Just praying for him. He's continuing to fight, and what a story. It's been something for us to rally around and somebody to care about. Another thing is that it's just bigger than football, and just props to him for seeing him in here a couple times throughout the year. It's been cool to see.
Q: I know he's obviously worked with the defense and is here when he can be, but do you guys have any kind of personal connection or something to talk about with anything specific to your relationship?
DM: Yeah, I got to know his son well. He was around training camp a lot. So, I know he's a big hockey player. It's been cool for Coach T, just someone on the defensive side of the ball, to be able to relate with in life. We kind of told our stories, kind of to get to know each other early on in the year, and he had a great story, coming from his background. I think he relates to the players well. Everybody that I've talked to from when he was in Detroit and Tennessee, everybody loves him. He's easy to care about, and I think he'd be awesome to have around more, but obviously, he's dealing with things that are, like I said, bigger than football. Just looking forward to having him back, whenever that is, and he just brings joy to the locker room.
Q: In the National Football League, you're not going to win every game. What's your general thought on bouncing back, facing adversity and how you go about doing that?
DM: Obviously, it stings. It stings when you don't come up on the winning side, but what I've tried to learn in this league is it's on to the next week. The next week's just as important as the last week and the week before that. Every week's important, and it matters. Just trying to play to my best ability, fix the things that I can fix, make plays, try to fix plays that I wish I had back and try to not let them happen again. But at the same time, I think there are some good things we did from last game, but also some things we've got to improve on to be better down the road and be better against the Ravens this week. We've got a tough challenge. They're a good defense. They're a good football team with a great quarterback. So, they're a tough challenge, and just trying to learn every week and store things in my memory bank to use them again down the road.
Q: I'm curious because you had your scheduled prime time games this season. This was one where you were taken out of the initial spot. You guys were moved into prime time where more eyes will be on you. Is there an extra level of excitement to know that they wanted you in that spot, they wanted the Patriots to be playing in that moment?
DM: That's what you play for. That's what we're trying to play for, for many years down the road. Trying to be the team that people want to see at night. People want to see when the only game on is us. That's what you want this environment to be. That's what you want the New England Patriots to be. Playing in night games that matter, home playoff games, and that's what we're building towards and working towards. That's one of the goals. So, we're just going to keep trying to get there, do whatever we can to get there, and it starts in practice out here today, tomorrow and each and every day. I think one of the tough things at the end of the – it's Week 16, trying to battle not kind of tailing off and taking shortcuts. Just try to keep going and do things a little more, study a little more, do a little bit more after practice just to try to make up for the 16 weeks that you've put on your body and know that these weeks are the weeks that you played the last 14 games for.
Q: Do you expect to see some of the things the Bills were successful doing to you, mostly in the second half? Other teams trying to copy that, and have you been working to kind of work out whatever those issues were?
DM: I'm sure teams try to do whatever other defenses try to do that, quote unquote, stopped us or felt like worked. So, you try to not overlook that and realize that these teams are going to be who they are and have practiced all year long, but you never know until you really get out there and snap a football and see. Obviously, we're trying to work on things that we can control, control on details, me making throws, better ball placement and better decisions. That's what we can control and let the rest sort itself out.
Q: Do you care about the MVP conversation at all?
DM: The MVP is obviously one of the big accolades for this league, and it's something that is an honor as a player to earn that award, and I respect all the past MVPs, but I think at the end of the day, winning the Super Bowl is the biggest thing. I think it's what kind of makes this league go is winning the big one. That's what you work toward, and that's what this game is about. I love winning, and the personal accolades come with all that, but I'd rather win than win personal awards. I hope people in that locker room – I know a lot of them feel the same way.
Q: Can you give us a scouting report on Amari [Gainer]?
DM: Yeah, I played with him my last year in college. He's a great guy in the locker room. He's good on the edge. He's fast. He's played inside a little bit. He's played on the edge. He played inside at Florida State, if I remember, in college. He moved to the edge once he got to North Carolina. So, I know he was with Vegas, and it's good to see him back. I think everybody's just trying to see what they can do just to help us, whether it's on game day, throughout practice or whatever he can do. I know he's going to work hard, and I know he's got a good work ethic.
Q: When the long ball opportunity potentially is there, do you ever have to fight against your own tendency to take a shorter, easier option?
DM: Yeah, that's what I've been battling, probably since college. I was more down the field and it's not even trying to force that. It's kind of the offense I was in. The backs weren't getting out; they were more blocking in college. So, I'm just trying to take the plays that the defense gives me and realize that moving the chains and being second-and-4 versus second-and-10 is better, so just challenging that. But at the same time, you've got to keep the defense on its toes for not squatting on routes and let them know that we can hit one over their head.
Q: When it came to the designed runs in the red zone last week, just how did that kind of come about, and how do you feel about doing that a little bit more moving forward?
DM: Yeah, we've tried them in previous weeks. They just haven't worked as well as they did on Sunday. So, it's something that makes it even down there when it gets tight. It's 11-on-11, and it's something that you can gain an extra hat versus me just handing it off and watching. So, it's something you can use, but also, you've got to be smart. These defenses are good, and these guys are smart and know, these coordinators. So, there's a time for it, and there's a time, like I said, you can gain an extra hat from it and make it even.
Q: As someone who expects a lot of himself to help his team, how do you balance the expectations you have versus the understanding that everyone, every player has limits?
DM: I expect a lot of myself. I think that's the biggest thing. You expect to show up in big games. You expect to show up when your team needs you, and that's what I hope everybody in that locker room feels. When pressure's on, you want to play within the system, play within the scheme and use your teammates around you. I've been trying to do that as much as I can because those guys around me are great players and realize that you don't do it by yourself. That's a motto in life. You don't do things by yourself. You've got people around you in your life that can help you, help you get to your goal, that think the same way and that want to win. I think when the pressure's on, you don't have to play outside and try to make a hero play, just make a winning play.
Q: The Ravens, are they still kind of a man-heavy team? It feels like they have been in the past. For you guys, when you've seen man, especially lately, how do you feel like you guys have handled that?
DM: Shoot, I mean, I think me stating something that – I know they'll probably watch it and see if they're a man or zone team or not. We know they'll play man sometimes and play zone. So, I'm not trying to give out my answer of what I think they'll do, but I think they play some zone, and they get eyes on the quarterback really well. They've got some guys on the outside that have played man, and guys on the inside, safeties, they mix around. I know 14's [Kyle Hamilton] a great player, 44's [Marlon Humphrey] played a long time and played at a high level. I know I played the other corner in college, [Nate] Wiggins. So, they've got some great players out there, they do a lot of different things, get their eyes on the quarterback, make plays on the football. I know when they do play in man, we've just got to win at the top of the route. I think our guys have done that and shown that and made contested catches. Me working on ball placement, if we do expect man, which I think we will, when you get down in the late of the season on third down in the red zone, you're going to see man. Teams run and play man, and you've got to be able to handle that and win routes. You've got to be able to win versus man; it's this league. It's why those guys, those receivers get paid and get paid to do that. So, I've got to work on ball placement for me, and I'm just trying to find the open guy.
Q: I think on TreVeyon's [Henderson] touchdown run last Sunday, Next Gen Stats had you timed at just under 21 miles per hour. Have you ever hit that?
DM: Yeah, I don't know if that's true or not. I don't know if I ever hit 20, but no, I just try to get down there. I'm always a little faster when somebody's chasing me or I'm trying to get out in front of somebody. So, I think TreVeyon would have scored anyway. I don't know if he really needed my block. So, just felt like I could try to go and help in any way, and I was trying not to get in the way, which I was probably close to that.
