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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rookie quarterback Drake Maye’s ability to make plays with arm and legs helped give the New England Patriots a 7-0 lead over the New York Jets in the first quarter on Sunday.
Maye raced for a 17-yard touchdown on the Patriots’ second drive, escaping the pocket after dropping back to pass, and sprinted from the left hash mark to the right pylon untouched. Jets linebacker Chazz Surratt swiped at Maye’s legs around the 4-yard line, to no avail.
While the line of scrimmage was the 17-yard line, Maye had dropped back to the 27-yard line before taking off to run, capitalizing as Jets’ defensive end Eric Watts took a wide rush and was pushed behind Maye by right tackle Demontrey Jacobs to open up a running lane. Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo and offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt celebrated on the sideline.
DRAKE MAYE. 17-yard rushing TD for the rookie!
📺: #NYJvsNE on CBS/Paramount+📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/QCLpeTf9xG
— NFL (@NFL) October 27, 2024
It was the Patriots’ first rushing touchdown since Week 5 against the Dolphins (Rhamondre Stevenson). The Patriots entered Sunday with three rushing touchdowns on the season, which tied for the second fewest in the NFL.
Earlier on the drive, facing third-and-5, Maye hit tight end Hunter Henry for an 11-yard catch to keep the drive alive. In all, the scoring drive covered 10 plays for 77 yards and chewed up 6:28 of the clock.
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