When the Patriots team plane lands in Denver on Saturday, it will mark the first time Drake Maye has stepped foot in Colorado.
As the quarterback then gets ready to take on the Broncos in the AFC Championship Game, he’ll quickly have to learn the effects of throwing a football in altitude.
“I haven’t thrown at altitude before,” Maye explained. “I’ve never really been to Colorado or to a place with altitude that I’ve thrown a football at, but I think there is some adjustment to it. Feeling it out in warmups, seeing what a deep ball is like or what the altitude does.”
The thinner air can make it more difficult for players to breathe and run due to less oxygen, while a football can also travel farther and faster because of reduced air resistance. Warmups will be key for Maye as he acclimates to both factors.
“The biggest thing, for us, just kind of fatigue-wise, I think we’ll try to get a feel for it in warmups,” Maye said. I know it’s a little different, but I know a lot of teams play out there all the time. So, we’ll have an adjustment. Just for me, just feeling out warmups, maybe throw a few extra deep ones, see how it is. I think it’ll be pretty cool. Get a few extra yards on a deep ball, you can always use that.”
Not that Maye needs it, but he will certainly take an extra yards. Maye was one of the league’s more aggressive — and successful — quarterbacks in throwing downfield this season, finishing with more air yards per attempt (8.9) than any other quarterback. New England also ended the regular season with the NFL’s top explosive play rate.
Now, against a Broncos pass rush that leads the league in sacks, Maye doesn’t plan to shy away from taking shots.
“I don’t think you’re trying to change it,” he said. “I think last week, you change it, and Kayshon doesn’t make the play. So little things like that, just knowing the time and place for it. I think trying to get the ball out of my hand, just being cognizant of the edge rushers and taking care of the football is the number-one thing.
“So, if we have time and have a look down field, you know me, I’m going to take a look and take a shot.”
Maye is coming off an outlier performance throwing downfield, completing just one-of-six attempts of 20-plus air yards. That lone completion, however, was the play to Kayshon Boutte he referenced — a 32-yard touchdown that helped the Patriots secure a spot in the AFC Championship Game.
With a trip to the Super Bowl on the line, Maye will look for a stronger downfield showing in the altitude while continuing to be calculated when taking those shots.
“When you’re trying to be aggressive in this game against these teams that we’re playing against now, you better be calculated, because you’re usually throwing against good players, against good scheme coaches that are trying to discourage you from doing it,” offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels said.
“It’s going to be important to really identify what you’re dealing with when the ball is snapped, because a lot of times you’re not going to see the truth until you have the ball in your hands. And then once they go ahead and start to play the coverage once the ball’s been snapped, now you got to make good decisions about is this a good opportunity for us or am I wasting a play or it’s a low percentage play. So I think he’s done a nice job of that all year. Hopefully we’ll have him some opportunities this week to make some explosives and do those kind of things.”
