What Drake Maye Said About His ‘Rookie Mistake’ on Matthew Judon’s Pick-6

Patriots

“Just a rookie mistake, no pun intended.”

Drake Maye made two of the most notable plays during Patriots practice Friday. One went his way, the other didn’t.

Maye hit rookie teammate Ja’Lynn Polk down the sideline on a play-action pass for a big gain. Polk jumped for the ball and caught it with both hands as it crashed to the ground. The throw was a little wobbly, but it still hit its intended target.

Maye praised Polk for his efforts in recovering the ball.

“He made a great catch,” Maye said. “It wasn’t a good throw, but Polk made a great catch. Great player. I felt like I wasn’t a safety but he made a great play. Just give him a chance, right? That’s what he’s here for, just to make plays for us, so I’m looking forward to seeing more of JP.”

The play that didn’t go so well for Maye was a short pass to Rhamondre Stevenson. Linebacker Matthew Judon got in front of the pass and intercepted it.

Judon, wearing his signature red hoodie in the Foxborough heat, sprinted toward the end zone, scoring a pick-6.

The mistake didn’t seem to faze Maye. He admitted the timing was off and his read could have been better.

“It’s just a rookie mistake, no pun intended,” Maye said. “I had a deep throw and I was going to throw to the flat late in the game and in this league they cover the ball carrier, so you have to look outside before you throw.”

Overall, Maye made 8 of 11 shots in 11-on-11 games and 9 of 13 shots in 7-on-7 games, according to the Globe’s Christopher Price. Those numbers are comparable to veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett (8 of 11, 9 of 12).

“I feel like I have a pretty good command of it,” he said. “I feel like I’m throwing the ball well. There’s a lot of concepts with (offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt) and (quarterbacks coach TC McCartney), who are doing a good job of breaking it down … It’s going well. There’s a lot more plays coming up, so I’ve got to keep that in mind.”