Maye gives Patriots early lead with 10-yard TD pass to Bourne

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  • Mike Reiss, ESPN staff writer17 November 2024 at 1:30 p.m. ET

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      Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN covering the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. You can follow Reiss on Twitter at @MikeReiss.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye beat the Los Angeles Rams’ blitz to keep the team’s second drive alive, then capped it off with a 10-yard touchdown pass to receiver Kendrick Bourne.

The play gave the Patriots a 7-0 lead over the visiting Rams and would not have been possible had Maye not converted on third-and-7 from the Patriots’ 40-yard line.

The Rams brought pressure on the third-down play, and Maye stepped up in the pocket to find receiver DeMario Douglas for a 28-yard gain. It was the only third-down play of the drive, which covered 77 yards and lasted 3:34.

Maye’s composure under pressure to open the game was impressive considering this is just his sixth NFL start. But he faced no pressure on the touchdown pass to Bourne as it was a four-man rush, and Maye stepped up in a clean pocket to find Bourne on a slant in the end zone.

Bourne, the eight-year veteran, did not play last week because the Patriots have issues at receiver. But he announced his presence early Sunday.

According to ESPN Research, the Rams hit Maye on 5 of 9 dropbacks (56%) through two drives. They entered the Sunday blitz on 27% of dropbacks this season. Maye was 4-of-5 for 47 yards as she was run through on two drives.