McDaniels: Defenses are changing their plan for Drake Maye — Patriots must adjust

# What changed In his first season working under Josh McDaniels, Drake Maye started 21 games, helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl, and finished second in MVP voting. That success has produced a reaction: opposing defenses are adjusting their coverage to take away Maye's strength — throwing the ball downfield.

McDaniels notes the pattern is predictable: when a quarterback has a big year, "there's going to be a reaction and a response to that." Recent game planning against Maye has often featured split-safety looks and two-high shells to limit deep plays.

# The tactical effect on Maye and the offense Against tougher defenses such as Seattle, Denver, Houston and Los Angeles, Maye has faced two-high safeties just over 50% of the time in the Patriots' last five matchups. Seattle used split-safety on 57% of snaps in the season opener.

That coverage forces Maye into the underneath passing areas. In Week 1 he used those shorter reads to build a 10-0 lead, but later in the game tried to force downfield throws and threw three fourth-quarter interceptions. Defenses now have reason to stick with the conservative approach as long as it limits big plays.

# McDaniels' view on how to respond McDaniels frames the response in practical terms. He says defenses will show tendencies and that the Patriots' offensive response must be disciplined. He contrasted patience and discipline: patience feels passive, while discipline is an active game plan that protects Maye's ability to attack downfield when opportunities appear.

He explains the two practical levers the offense can use:

• Make positive plays consistently and score enough points to force defenses to change their coverages.
• Attack split-safety and shell defenses with specific plays designed to exploit those looks when the chance arises.

# The running game as the forcing mechanism McDaniels points to the running game as the most reliable way to force a second safety down into the box. The Patriots' ground attack has been a problem going back to last season and showed up again in Week 1: 62 rushing yards on 24 carries and last in the league in rush EPA.

He emphasizes execution and volume. Citing coaching lessons about accumulated carries, McDaniels laid out the plan: sustain runs across the game so early two- and three-yard plays can turn into longer gains later. The strategy is to preserve balance and keep applying runs until they open up.

# Immediate implications and next steps Week 2 opponent, the Pittsburgh Steelers, opened their season playing zone coverage on all defensive dropbacks — a similar strategy to what New England has seen recently. That makes discipline and a functioning run game urgent.

McDaniels wants the offense to be ready to seize opportunities: protect the ball, methodically move the chains, and remain aggressive when the defense gives openings to attack vertically. If the offense can't generate consistent success, McDaniels expects defenses to keep using split safeties.

# Bottom line Opponents are deliberately taking away Drake Maye's downfield strengths with two-high safety looks. The Patriots' counter is straightforward: improve the running game, sustain offensive balance through disciplined play-calling and execution, and be ready to attack the specific coverage windows that appear. How well New England executes those elements will determine whether defenses keep playing conservatively against Maye or are forced to adjust.