Patriots Linebacker Backs Maye After Seahawks Loss

New England Patriots linebacker Robert Spillane has publicly supported quarterback Drake Maye following the team's Week 1 loss to the Seattle Seahawks. Spillane urged Maye to stop taking sole responsibility for the 13-10 defeat, emphasizing that football is a team game.

"Everyone’s interaction is different, everyone’s relationship is different. All I told him was, ‘Dude, stop taking all the f–king blame for it,’" Spillane told WEEI. "He feels like he has to put all the pressure on his shoulders, but at the end of the day, this is a team game and we all support him and we know he’s gonna go out there this weekend and really knock your socks off."

The Patriots faced the Seahawks in a Week 1 matchup where the offense struggled to connect. Maye threw three interceptions in the second half and finished the game with 178 passing yards and one touchdown. The loss was further compounded by a high ankle sprain suffered by wide receiver AJ Brown.

Maye, who finished second in MVP voting last season with 4,394 total yards and 31 touchdowns, acknowledged the need for collective effort. "You always talk in the quarterback room of being dialed in and being into practice and starting that in practice. I wouldn’t say just because AJ’s out that I’m trying to become this elevation,” Maye explained. “I think that takes everybody. It’s a team effort and realizing that a lot of guys need to step up and do extra things and strain a little bit harder for us to keep going in the right direction.”