Patriots Country

Patriots' Drake Maye Sends Powerful Message Before Bills Matchup

The New England Patriots, led by Drake Maye, are going into a big matchup against the Buffalo Bills.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looks to throw against the Carolina Panthers.
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye looks to throw against the Carolina Panthers. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

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The New England Patriots are going into their Week 5 matchup with very little room for error as they take on the undefeated Buffalo Bills on the road.

The game won't be easy for the Pats with the Bills sitting at 4-0, but they won't have just their opponent to go against. Patriots quarterback Drake Maye wants to ensure that New England doesn't make any unforced efforts on their own.

"Don’t beat ourselves. I think that’s been our mindset since what happened with Pittsburgh two weeks ago. Don’t beat ourselves. That’s what happened last year at their place. I think we had a chance at them," Maye said.

"Shoot, it was 14-14, I think we fumbled, and then obviously the touchdown we gave up on the backwards pass. Just don’t beat ourselves and just playing our identity, and we can play with anybody if we don’t do that. They’re definitely getting the ball out, and they do a great job in zone defense of having their eyes on me and playing off my eyes."

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye calls a play against the Carolina Panthers
New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye calls a play against the Carolina Panthers. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

The Pats could be 3-1 or even 4-0 if they didn't make mistakes in their two losses. When facing off against the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 1, the Pats allowed four sacks while Maye threw an interception in the loss. Two weeks later against the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Pats fumbled the ball four times in a seven-point loss.

The Pats have the talent to compete with the top teams in the league, but sometimes they get in their own way. That is the difference between the good and great teams in the NFL.

Through four games, the Patriots are a -3 in terms of turnover differential. The defense has three interceptions while the offense has two interceptions and four fumbles.

Only the Raiders, Dallas Cowboys, San Francisco 49ers, Cleveland Browns and New York Jets have a worse turnover differential through the first four weeks of the season, so the Patriots need to ensure they are taking care of the football in order to come out on top.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.