Whether you love the Drake or hate him, Maye's Music City Miracle will always be remembered – and he looks the real deal

Without concern for his personal safety, Maye ran the ball eight times for 95 yards, forgoing the safety slide on most occasions, and came within 5 yards of becoming the first Patriot quarterback in 48 years to do so. who ran for 100 yards (Steve Grogan, 1976). .

I love the Drake!

He completed 29 of 41 passes for 206 yards and orchestrated two touchdown drives in the second half.

I love the Drake!

He fumbled twice (lost one) and was intercepted twice.

Hate the Drake!

Most memorably, on the final play of regulation, Maye fought for almost all of 12 seconds and hit Rhamondre Stevenson in the end zone for a touchdown pass that allowed the Pats to send the game into overtime.

I love the Drake!

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 would be making a decisive run for that third wild card .

Unfortunately, the Patriots didn't win and there will be no postseason for your 2-7 football team. Tennessee won 20-17 in overtime, sealing the victory when Maye stepped over his skis and attempted a long bomb on a first-and-10 from his own 41, intercepted for the second time by Amani (Not So Fair) Hooker became.

Hate the Drake!

“I made some bad decisions, especially the ones at the end,” Maye, 22, said. “I have to get better.”

“He’s going to learn from his mistakes and get better because of them,” said Jerod Mayo, New England’s rookie coach.

Half of Patriot Nation came to this truly red state to see Maye play the ball and sling it around the yard. New England's young QB was hit in the head by Jets linebacker Jamien Sherwood in the first quarter last week and wasn't there to see Jacoby Brissett lead the Pats to a game-winning touchdown drive in Foxborough.

He failed to put a touchdown on the board in the first half. Early in the second quarter, he was singled out by Hooker when he sent a pass over the middle under pressure.

Trailing 7-3 at halftime, Maye stormed out of the locker room, completing six of six passes and running when necessary on a 70-yard touchdown drive at 7:21. New England took its first lead of the day when Stevenson came out of the first period.

With the game tied 10-10 with 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 collected by Tennessee tackle Jeffrey Simmons on the New England 26.

About 2:26 minutes 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 would be the goat. . .

But after a punt conversion, he took the Patriots 50 yards on 11 plays and ended regulation with his Music City Miracle scramble and a TD pass to make the score 17-16.

This set the stage for a big decision from Mayo.

Go for the extra point to force overtime or go for two and sort out all family matters immediately?

Mayo kicked out and attempted the kick.

“At the time I thought it was the right decision,” said the coach.

“I was trying to catch my breath,” Maye admitted.

When Patriot Nation looks back on this day and remembers the 2024 Titans game, they won't talk about Maye's ill-conceived desperation shot that fell into Hooker's arms to end overtime. They'll rave about Maye's maniacal effort to keep the final game of regulation alive almost eight seconds after the clock struck zero.

“It shows mental toughness and the ability to make plays with his legs,” Mayo said. “He gave us the chance to win the game.”

Indeed. Maye seems like the real deal. The Patriots had to get it right when they took third overall in the draft last spring. It seems they got it right.

Two Titans who teamed up with Maye for Tennessee's crucial fourth-quarter takeaway were impressed by New England's addition.

“He’s faster than he looks,” Key said.

“I told him after the game that he was going to be a great player,” Simmons said.

Maye takes his skills to Chicago next week, where he will face the top pick of the 2024 draft: Bears QB Caleb Williams.

If Bob Kraft has the imagination, he'll have his team stay at The Drake, Chicago's regal, 104-year-old hotel overlooking the shores of Lake Michigan.

Everyone loves the Drake.

Dan Shaughnessy is a Globe columnist. He can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @dan_shaughnessy.