Managing Drake Maye’s development will determine the success of the New England Patriots under Mike Vrabel, and the new head coach can make a key move to help his star quarterback, based on how the Philadelphia Eagles use Jalen Hurts.
It’s a suggestion from Patriots.com Senior Reporter Evan Lazar. He would “love to see the #Patriots install Philly’s RPO package for Drake Maye. So many layups for Hurts that keep the offense on schedule.”
Moving the offense toward Hurts-friendly schemes would be all about making Maye’s job easier by creating manageable down and distance situations. As Lazar put it, “you just see so many 1st-and-10s become 2nd-and-3 with Philly running their option package. Now, everything is on the table when you’re ahead of the chain. So many different options.”
While the Patriots don’t have the talent around Maye Hurts benefits from in Philadelphia, there’s a lot of merit to Lazar’s suggestion. Notably, how an option-style offense based on packaged plays suits Maye’s core dual-threat skills.
It’s also a scheme returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels has called effectively in the recent past.
Jalen Hurts a Good Template for Drake Maye
Hurts has the Eagles in a second Super Bowl in three years while running RPOs at a higher rate than anybody in the league. Former NFL QB, turned Fox Sports analyst Chase Daniel broke down three of Hurts’ option faves back in early December, when the Eagles led “the NFL in RPO’s this season, running them a staggering 22% of the the time.”
The key points from Daniel’s analysis were how the RPO game can create “an easy pitch and catch touchdown. These are the type of plays that Jalen Hurts needs. And then you get the QB-run game going.”
Both of those things can apply to Maye and accelerate the development of the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Creating easy throwing windows and quick dumpoffs for Maye would reduce the inefficiencies in his gunslinging style that led to him throwing 10 interceptions and taking 34 sacks in 12 starts.
The other benefit of leaning into RPOs is the chance to unleash Maye on designed runs more often. He averaged 7.8 yards per rush and 22 first downs on the ground as a rookie, so the Patriots must use Maye’s mobility in increasingly creative ways.
Fortunately, the option game can work because Maye ran out of it effectively during his college days at North Carolina, per Taylor Kyles of Patriots on CLNS.
Designing RPOs like these won’t be a problem for Daniels based on his ample experience with similar concepts.
Josh McDaniels Can Bring Option Game Back to Offense
Back to back seasons having Cam Newton and Mac Jones at the controls of his offenses gave McDaniels plenty of opportunities to call option plays. Most of those calls were made for Newton in 2020, when the former NFL MVP ran 36 RPOs, 13 passes and 23 runs, according to Pro Football Reference.
Some of Newton’s best option calls were highlighted by Lazar as proof “all this stuff is in McDaniels’s bag.”
The Pats didn’t use quite so many packaged plays when Jones usurped Newton as QB1 a year later. Jones still ran 27 RPOs, but rarely opted to run.
Maye could be counted on to trust his legs more often as a more dynamic runner, although he doesn’t have the same advantages as Hurts. Advantages such as 2,000-yard running back Saquon Barkley and the most powerful offensive line in football.
Nor does Maye have a wide receiver as physical as A.J. Brown turning his quick throws into yards. Brown could be on the Patriots radar because of his connections with Vrabel from their days with the Tennessee Titans, but it’s more likely general manager Eliot Wolf looks elsewhere for the big-bodied receiver Maye needs.
Superior personnel and different concepts more favorable to his talents can prime Maye for Hurts-like success in Year 2.
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