One week after being sidelined by a concussion in the first quarter against the Jets, New England’s new franchise quarterback made his fourth career start and did a lot of everything.
All except for the winning part.
NASHVILLE — Drake Maye did it all Sunday in Tennessee.
With little concern for his personal safety, Maye ran the ball eight times for 95 yards, eschewing the safety slide on most occasions and coming within 5 yards of being the first Patriot quarterback in 48 years to rush for 100 (Steve Grogan, 1976).
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He completed 29 of 41 passes for 206 yards and orchestrated two second-half touchdown drives.
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He fumbled twice (losing one) and was intercepted twice.
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Most memorable, Maye scrambled for almost a full 12 seconds on the final play of regulation and found Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone for a touchdown pass that allowed the Pats to send the game into overtime.
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It was an unforgettable moment in Maye’s young career and if this game had been broadcast on NESN, Dave O’Brien and Tom Caron would have taken the opportunity to inform the audience that the Pats were making a crucial run for that third wild card.
Alas, the Patriots did not win, and there’ll be no postseason for your 2-7 football team. The Tennessee won it in overtime, 20-17, sealing things when Maye got over his skis and tried a long bomb on a first and 10 from his own 41 and was intercepted for the second time by Amani (Not So Fair) Hooker.
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“I made some bad decisions, especially that one at the end,’’ said the 22-year-old Maye. “I’ve got to be better.’’
“He’ll learn from his mistakes and he’ll be better for it,’’ said Jerod Mayo, New England’s rookie coach.
Half of Patriot Nation descended on this really red state to see Maye take the ball and sling it around the yard. New England’s kid QB was conked in the head by Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood in the first quarter last week and wasn’t around to see Jacoby Brissett lead the Pats to a game-winning touchdown drive in Foxborough.
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Maye couldn’t put a touchdown on the board in the first half. Early in the second quarter, he was picked by Hooker when he rushed a pass over the middle while being pressured.
Trailing, 7-3, at intermission, Maye roared out of the locker room, completing 6 of 6 passes and running when he had to on a 70-yard, 7:21 touchdown drive. New England took its first lead of the day when Stevenson ran it in from the 1.
With the game tied, 10-10, and seven minutes left, disaster struck. Maye dropped back, looked left, and had nothing. As he looked and ran to his right, Titans linebacker Arden Key came up from behind and knocked the ball out of Maye’s right hand. The bouncing football was gathered by Tennessee tackle Jeffery Simmons on the New England 26.
Some 2:26 later, Mason Rudolph connected with Nick Westbrook-Ikhine on a 6-yard TD pass in the left corner of the end zone and the Pats trailed, 17-10.
Maye was going to be the goat . . .
But after an exchange of punts, he moved the Patriots 50 yards in 11 plays, finishing regulation with his Music City Miracle scramble and TD pass to make it 17-16.
Drake Maye did a little bit of everything on Sunday. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff
This set the stage for a big decision by Mayo.
Go for the extra point to force overtime, or go for 2 and settle all family business right then and there?
Mayo wimped out and went for the kick.
“At the time, I thought that was the right call,” said the coach.
“I was trying to catch my breath,” admitted Maye.
When Patriot Nation looks back on this day and remembers the Titans game from 2024, they will not talk of Maye’s ill-conceived desperation heave that fell into the arms of Hooker to end overtime. They will gush about Maye’s mad scramble to keep the last play of regulation alive, almost eight seconds after the clock had struck zero.
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“That shows mental toughness and ability to make plays with his legs,’’ said Mayo. “He gave us a chance to win the game.’’
Indeed. Maye seems to be the real deal. The Patriots had to get it right when they earned the No. 3 pick in the draft last spring. It appears they got it right.
Two Titans who ganged up on Maye for Tennessee’s critical fourth-quarter takeaway were impressed with New England’s new guy.
“He’s faster than he looks,” said Key.
“I told him after the game, he’s going to be a hell of a player,’’ said Simmons.
Maye takes his skills to Chicago next week where he’ll be up against the top pick in the 2024 draft: Bears QB Caleb Williams.
If Bob Kraft has any imagination, he’ll have his team stay at The Drake, Chicago’s regal, 104-year-old hotel overlooking the shores of Lake Michigan.
Everybody Loves The Drake.
Read more from the Patriots’ loss to the Titans
Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at daniel.shaughnessy@globe.com. Follow him @dan_shaughnessy.