Bill Simmons Turns on Patriots QB Drake Maye After Season-Opening Collapse in Seattle

Longtime Boston sports commentator Bill Simmons delivered an unusually sharp critique of New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye following the team’s season-opening loss to the Seattle Seahawks, arguing the third-year passer had no health-related justification for a three-intermission fourth quarter that erased a 10-3 lead.

Maye, who emerged as one of the league’s premier quarterbacks last season while guiding New England to its first Super Bowl appearance since the Tom Brady era, has long counted Simmons among his most prominent media defenders. But after the Patriots surrendered a fourth-quarter edge in Seattle, the podcaster’s tone changed markedly.

In a clip shared on his YouTube channel, Simmons acknowledged Maye’s brilliance across most of last season while noting that the downturn began in the playoffs, when he believed the quarterback was playing through an injury. This time, he said, there was no such explanation available.

Simmons pointed out that Maye appeared mobile and healthy against Seattle, scrambling in ways that echoed his form from the first four months of last season. He also questioned the play-calling execution, noting that even on short-yardage situations such as third-and-1 runs with controlled draw sweeps — concepts that worked well a year ago — Maye failed to deliver.

The loss is a difficult start for a New England team carrying Super Bowl expectations. While Maye received a measure of grace last postseason because the team kept winning, the margin for error figures to be thinner this year, with an early skid threatening a return trip to the playoffs.

The Patriots will look to regroup quickly, returning to Foxborough for a home matchup against the Pittsburgh Steelers next Sunday — a game that already carries significant weight given the opening loss.

The matchup aired on NBC, part of Comcast’s (NASDAQ: CMCSA) broadcast portfolio. Comcast, a media and technology company operating across connectivity, media, studios, and theme parks segments, saw its shares trade at $24.59, down 0.24% from a previous close of $24.65, with a market capitalization of roughly $92.5 billion.

What to watch

• Maye’s performance against Pittsburgh next Sunday in New England’s home opener.
• Whether the Patriots’ offense reverts to the short-yardage run concepts that succeeded last season.
• Any updates on Maye’s health following the playoffs and offseason.
• New England’s early-season standing relative to playoff positioning in the weeks ahead.

Source: original release