NASHVILLE, Tenn. – New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye turned in a dazzling performance to send Sunday’s game against the Tennessee Titans into overtime with no time left in regulation, but he regretted throwing deep after an ill-advised interception that sealed a 20-0 score. 17 road loss at Nissan Stadium.

The dramatic ups and downs created feelings of promise and disappointment among Patriots players and coaches as they fell to 2-7.

“This guy is special, man. The way he competes, the way he plays, the way he keeps fighting,” veteran tight end Hunter Henry said of Maye, the No. 3 pick in the draft. “I am proud of his fight. There is a lot to learn and we will continue to build.”

Maye capped an 11-play, 50-yard touchdown drive at the end of regulation with a play in which he held the ball for 11.82 seconds as he weaved through the pocket, waiting for a receiver to expose. He then lofted a 5-yard pass while falling to the ground to running back Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone with no time left on the clock.

Since tracking the NFL Next Gen Stats in 2016, Maye’s attempt is the second-longest time to throw a touchdown pass (regular season or playoffs), behind only Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels’ Hail Mary in week 8 to beat the Chicago Bears (12.70 seconds). ).

“That’s Drake. No one was surprised. Drake does things like that all the time,” cornerback Christian Gonzalez said. “He fought and did what he could.”

Maye said he tried to keep the game alive and credited Stevenson for his receiver-like effort before adding, “But we came up short in the end, so that play doesn’t really matter at this point.”

A major reason was Maye’s eventual decision to extend. The Titans had taken the lead 20–17 on a field goal, and the Patriots took over at their own 30 with 2:32 left, as Maye’s 11-yard scramble on second down moved the ball to the 41.

On first-and-10, Maye attempted to hit a deep ball over the middle to receiver Kayshon Boutte, which caught in the air and was intercepted by safety Amani Hooker.

“We were throwing against the wind and I have to put more effort into it. Just a stupid decision. Something you would like to have back,” he said. “Especially in that situation, we could at least tie it up. Sometimes throwing it away is the best play.”

Maye, who was cleared from the concussion protocol on Saturday, also was intercepted early in the second quarter and sacked in the fourth quarter on a play that gave the Titans a short field and led to a touchdown.

He finished 29 of 41 for 206 yards while adding 95 rushing yards on eight scrambles. The 95 rushing yards were the second most by a Patriots quarterback since 1976, behind only Steve Grogan (103).

“If they cut guys off and there’s some rush lanes up front, I’m going to make them pay. That’s my mentality,” Maye said.

Patriots coach Jerod Mayo praised Maye’s mental toughness and ability to play through the run before noting how the game ended.

“He’s a guy who’s trying to make a play. I think as good as he’s played, sometimes we forget how young he is,” Mayo said of the 22-year-old Maye. “He will continue to develop and he will be a good quarterback in this league. We will all learn from this, including myself.”