Drake Maye Puts Twist On Game Ball Tradition After Patriots Win

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 17, 2025, 3:55 PM

drake maye puts twist on game ball tradition after patriots win

A Patriots player getting a game ball spans decades. But Drake Maye decided to put a twist on the tradition on Sunday. After New England’s 31-13 win over the Tennessee Titans, coach Mike Vrabel entered the locker room to give a speech to his team. As he was about to exit, Maye stepped in and gave his coach the game ball. “Coach Vrabel, we love playing for you,” the quarterback said in a video shared by the Patriots. “Glad you’re our head coach.

We love you, coach.” It was an emotional win for Vrabel, who returned to Tennessee for the first time since being fired by the Titans in 2024. “Vra-bel!” chants filled Nissan Stadium at one point. “I didn’t get that many tickets,” Vrabel said after the game. “I don’t know. But that’s neither here nor there.

I’m happy for our players. I think these guys, they’re figuring out how to win. They’re figuring out how to practice. I guess it’s humbling to have these people want to — whoever that is — cheer for us. Whether that’s the Patriots, or Drake Maye, or me, or anybody else.” Sunday's win in Tennessee was an important one for the Patriots.

Not only did the 31-13 victory see New England maintain its first-place lead in the AFC East—and Drake Maye breaking franchise records once held by Tom Brady—but it also allowed coach Mike Vrabel to... That's why, in the locker room after the win, the coach was awarded a game ball by his franchise quarterback while trying to break the team down. "One sec, one sec," Maye jumped in as Vrabel walked away from the huddle. "For coach and all Tennessee coaches. Coach Vrabel, we love playing for you. Glad you're our head coach.

We love you, coach." Check out the awesome moment here, at about the 0:35 second mark in the below video: New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel was given the game ball by his quarterback, Drake Maye, following Sunday’s win over the Tennessee Titans, and he appreciated the honor, as he noted in a radio... Sunday marked Vrabel’s return to Tennessee for the first time since the 2023 season. The Patriots were able to dominate on both sides of the football and pick up their fifth win of the year. It was quite the win for a team that is quickly finding its stride.

Vrabel did not want to make his return to Tennessee about himself, but he was genuinely happy to receive the game ball from Maye. "He did. He did. And again, I appreciate it," Vrabel said on Maye giving him a game ball. "Happy that they can see success, and they can feel it. They're excited.

A lot of great personal achievements, and most importantly, the team achievements." The combination of Maye and Vrabel, along with the return of offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels, is a major reason why the Patriots are sitting at 5-2. CLEVELAND, Ohio — In football, few plays generate more excitement than a perfectly thrown deep ball. That distinctive sound of thousands of fans simultaneously inhaling—a collective gasp of anticipation—signals something special is happening. For Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, that sound has been the soundtrack to some of his favorite football memories, and on Wednesday, he opened up about what makes the deep ball such a unique and... The rookie signal-caller took us back to his earliest memories of throwing deep, revealing a journey that began long before NFL stadiums and professional defenses.

“Probably in the backyards of my brothers before anything throwing a deep [ball],” Maye reflected, before adding that his role wasn’t always as the quarterback. “I was a receiver for the longest because I was the youngest. They wouldn’t let me play quarterback.” Drake Maye continues to etch his name into the Patriots history books. The latest milestone came Sunday in New England’s 31-13 victory over the Tennessee Titans when the quarterback tied Tom Brady for most games in team history of at least 200 passing yards, a 1.35... Brady completed 88.5% of his passes in 2009 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.

What’s more, Maye also set a new franchise record for the highest single-game completion percentage — with a minimum of 20 passes — by completing 91.3% of his passes. Maye went 21-of-23 for 222 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s win. The second-year quarterback also added 62 rushing yards on eight carries. After struggling mightily in the deep passing game over the last few seasons, the Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye rank third in the NFL in explosive pass percentage in 2025. Kenneth Richmond / Getty Images FOXBORO, Mass.

— During those backyard games that still stick out vividly for Drake Maye, he was rarely the quarterback. One drawback to being the youngest of four boys is that the older brothers got to pick the fun positions. So Maye was usually a wide receiver. “They wouldn’t let me play quarterback,” Maye said with a smile. So Maye didn’t get the rush of hitting a deep pass until later on. As the spotlight on Maye grew and the recruiting stars came, attendance swelled at Myers Park High in Charlotte, N.C., when Maye played.

And even as Maye has developed into a terrific NFL quarterback in his second season with the New England Patriots, he still thinks back to that feeling he first experienced on high school fields,... The way a stadium falls quiet for just a split second when the quarterback heaves the ball deep downfield. The nervous energy of waiting to see if it’ll be caught. The New England Patriots went down to Nashville to take on the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. It marked a return to the city for Mike Vrabel, who was fired after six seasons as the team’s head coach. Vrabel was asked about his return multiple times during the week and both teams were interested to see how it would play out.

Ultimately, Vrabel got the last laugh as his Patriots left Nashville with a dominant 31-13 win, and it could have been much worse. The Patriots gained 387 total yards of offense and Drake Maye was pretty much perfect. The young quarterback completed 21 of his 23 pass attempts for 222 yards and two touchdowns. Rhamondre Stevenson had his best game of the season, rushing 18 times for 88 yards and one score. On defense, the unit held the Titans to 255 total yards and just 39 net rushing yards. The Titans also converted just three of 10 third down tries turned the ball over twice.

Several players could have received a game ball for this performance, but Maye had his own idea. Just as Vrabel finished giving his postgame speech, Maye jumped in to make sure his coach was recognized. The New England Patriots’ postgame locker room was filled with emotion on Sunday as rookie quarterback Drake Maye surprised head coach Mike Vrabel with the game ball following a dominant win over the Tennessee... [Video link (the original post has since been deleted/private)]. Vrabel brought his new Patriots back to the stadium where he once coached, just six days after the 1-6 Titans fired head coach Brian Callahan. It was a memorable game thanks to his players.

During his tenure with the Titans, Vrabel won NFL Coach of the Year and guided the team to consistent postseason trips. He downplayed the game’s emotional significance in public.. But his players clearly understood what this matchup meant. The Patriots’ offense hummed with rhythm and balance, and their defense never allowed Tennessee to find any momentum. But the defining moment came after the game. As Vrabel addressed his team in the locker room, praising their effort and reminding them that “there’s so much better football to be played,” Maye interrupted this time to honor his coach.

Handing over the game ball, Maye told Vrabel: The Postgame Live crew hand out their game balls after a tough win in Miami The contributions came from just about everyone as the Patriots earned a 33-27 victory against the Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday. Following the win, our Patriots Postgame Live crew including insiders Phil Perry and Tom E. Curran as well as analyst Ted Johnson and host Michael Holley gave out their game balls to highlight the best performances. Stream NBC10 Boston news for free, 24/7, wherever you are.

It was an impressive bounce-back performance for Maye, who went 19-for-23 for 230 yards passing on 10 yards per attempt. Maye accounted for three scores, including first-quarter passing touchdowns to Mack Hollins and Kayshon Boutte before a third-quarter rushing touchdown.

Drake Maye Puts Twist On Game Ball Tradition After Patriots Win

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