Vrabel: Maye Putting Too Much Pressure on Himself After Uneven Start

The Patriots head coach pointed to decision-making and self-imposed pressure as areas for his second-year quarterback to manage.

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel addressed quarterback Drake Maye's slow start to the season, telling reporters that the young passer is placing too much pressure on himself to perform at a star level.

Maye opened the year against the Seattle Seahawks, completing 23 of 33 passes for one touchdown and three interceptions. In a Week 2 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, he went 14 of 22 for 208 yards with no passing touchdowns and one interception.

The run game carried the offense against Pittsburgh. TreVeyon Henderson rushed for 76 yards on 16 carries, while Rhamondre Stevenson added 43 yards on six attempts.

Speaking to reporters, with comments relayed by the Boston Globe, Vrabel said everyone puts pressure on themselves to be great, but Maye needs to find a balance in reading plays and timing his downfield throws. He added that Maye could do some things better, as could many players on offense.

Vrabel noted that Maye's overall decision-making against Pittsburgh was largely good, even as the second-year quarterback continues to search for consistency.