Can the Patriots make life a bit easier for Drake Maye on Sunday? Phil Perry breaks down the key matchups in New England's Week 10 clash with the Bears.
CHICAGO -- Drake Maye hasn't yet dragged his team to victory, but he's been impressive enough that even when he makes a mistake, there's a chance he's opening the eyes of his coaches in a positive manner.
They've handed off 70 times over the last four weeks and are averaging just 1.9 yards per carry with their backs, last in the league during that time. If that continues at Soldier Field, Maye will be forced to create in a way similar to when he accounted for 95 percent of his team's total yards in Nashville in Week 9.
"The decisions you have to make are still instant," McCartney said."It happens faster, maybe, against a defense like this. You may know where you want to go, but it’s gotta go there exactly on time. I think you gotta build in breaks for the quarterback where he doesn’t have to make all these decisions every single play because it does become exhausting to make the perfect decision on every single play.
In the running game this season, the Bears are just 26th in the league in yards per attempt , but over the last four weeks they've been better, averaging 4.9 yards per carry in that span. The Patriots, meanwhile, have struggled to stop the run all season, allowing over 100 yards in seven straight games and an average of 167.0 over their last five.
Because it seems clear they don't want to get into third-and-long situations, asking their pass-protectors to hold up in obvious passing scenarios, the Patriots have been predictably running the ball on early downs without much success. Last week against Tennessee, the Patriots had 16 of their 28 first-down plays go for one yard or less .
Williams, per NGS, has thrown four picks on passes that have traveled at least 20 yards down this year, which is tied with Will Levis of the Titans for most in the NFL. He also has the second-lowest completion percentage over expected on those types of throws this year.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Why Bears defense presents tough test for Maye, Patriots offensePatriots rookie QB Drake Maye will face a tough Bears pass defense in Week 10. Here's a dive into the numbers.
Read more »
Patriots Mailbag: Should Alex Van Pelt be Drake Maye's long-term OC?Should the Patriots stick with the Drake Maye-Alex Van Pelt partnership going forward? Phil Perry answers that question and more in a new Mailbag.
Read more »
Patriots QB Drake Maye identifies key area he wants to improve inWhat does Drake Maye want to improve on after his first four starts? Here's what the Patriots rookie QB told reporters today.
Read more »
Perry: Patriots ‘asking way too much' of Drake MayePhil Perry breaks down the issues with the Patriots relying too heavily on their rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
Read more »
What we learned in Patriots-Titans: Drake Maye flashes ‘special' upsideDrake Maye put on a show, but the rest of the Patriots have a lot of work to do. Phil Perry shares his takeaways from an eventful OT loss to the Titans.
Read more »
Patriots are in disarray with the crucial exception of Drake MayeDrake Maye's play Sunday should ignite a sense of urgency for the Patriots to clean up the rest of their operation, writes Tom E. Curran.
Read more »