Drake Maye threw an interception on a play the Patriots had already run twice in the same game against Pittsburgh. That's not a minor detail—it's an indictment. When you're calling the same concept multiple times and the defense picks it apart, the issue isn't the quarterback's arm talent. It's the scheme.
Andrew Callahan's film breakdown exposes what happened: Maye had visibility problems on the play, which suggests McDaniels either didn't account for Pittsburgh's coverage looks or failed to build in escape routes for his young quarterback. For a second-year starter still learning the position, that's a recipe for bad plays in critical moments. The Steelers' blitz pressure was chaos—and the Patriots created some of it themselves through their own defensive concepts—but that shouldn't excuse calling the same vulnerable route combination twice.
Here's what matters going forward: McDaniels has schemed up some genuinely creative blitz pressure packages on defense, which shows creativity and preparation. But that same attention to detail needs to translate to protecting Maye. You can't ask a young QB to process a complex read when the protection is leaky and his sightlines are compromised. That's setting him up to fail.
The good news? These are correctable problems. McDaniels can adjust. He can kill plays that aren't working and trust his instincts instead of force-feeding concepts. The bad news? Two weeks into the season, we're already seeing patterns that suggest he's not making those adjustments quickly enough. Against a defense like Pittsburgh's, that's the difference between a win and a loss.
Maye has the arm and the athleticism. But he needs a coordinator who's willing to evolve within the game, not just between them.
Based on reporting from Bluesky (@andrewcallahan.bsky.social).