FOXBOROUGH, Mass. – New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye provided the spark that head coach Jerod Mayo was hoping for in his debut Sunday against the Houston Texans late in the second quarter.

Maye threw a beautiful 40-yard touchdown pass to sophomore Kayshon Boutte on the right side with 11 seconds left. The play helped cut the Texans' lead to 14-7 and enlivened the Gillette Stadium crowd, which up to that point had had little to cheer about.

Veteran tight end Hunter Henry then arranged for Maye to receive the football on the sideline to commemorate his first NFL touchdown pass of his career.

Drake Maye DIME for his first career touchdown pass!

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– NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024

The second-and-2 throw came when the offensive line and running back JaMycal Hasty absorbed a six-man rush from the Texans, giving Maye a clean pocket.

Meanwhile, Boutte was battling cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. one-on-one down the right sideline and got his hands on the ball right at the 2-yard line. Maye had dropped back to midfield with the “Pat Patriot” logo.

The Patriots faced similar situations at the end of the half, which reinforced the importance of the play — and the plays that preceded it. They had taken over at their own 16-yard line with 53 seconds left in the half. A 22-yard connection from Maye to receiver DeMario Douglas on 2nd-and-8 was crucial in getting the drive going.

According to ESPN Research, the Patriots have scored three passing touchdowns with more than 35 air yards since 2020 – one from Mac Jones, one from Cam Newton and now one from Maye.

Then, with a minute left in the third quarter, Maye connected with tight end Hunter Henry on a 6-yard touchdown pass. That cut the Texans’ lead to 27-14. Maye suffered a serious blow early in the third quarter and was slow to get back to his feet, so his determination was evident as the second half progressed.

Drake Maye has another passing TD

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– NFL (@NFL) October 13, 2024