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Drake Maye, Kayshon Boutte recreated their first-ever touchdown in Patriots win
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- Drake Maye, Kayshon Boutte recreated their first-ever touchdown in Patriots win
FOXBOROUGH – The first sign of hope came inside Gillette Stadium on a Drake Maye deep ball that softly landed in the hands of Kayshon Boutte after the receiver beat Houston Texans Pro Bowl cornerback Derek Stingley Jr. on a go-route.
The latest sign of hope came inside Gillette Stadium on another Maye deep ball that also landed in the hands of Boutte after the receiver beat the same All-Pro cornerback on a go-route.
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Last season, Maye made his first NFL start against the Texans and threw his first NFL touchdown, a 40-yard-deep ball, to Boutte in the south end zone near the lighthouse. On the play, the receiver ran down the right sideline and beat Stingley for the score. That also marked the first touchdown reception of Boutte’s career.
Plenty has changed for the quarterback and receiver since that 2024 loss, but Maye and Boutte were up to their old tricks Sunday .
With the Texans battling back, the Patriots needed some life in the fourth quarter.
That’s when Boutte, matched up with Stingley 1-on-1, ran down the same right sideline and ran the same route to score in the same part of the end zone that he did last season. This time, he made a diving 1-handed 32-yard touchdown catch to give the Patriots an insurmountable 28-16 lead with 12:58 left in the fourth quarter.
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The play looked the same as Maye and Boutte’s first connection a year ago.
“It’s a different offense. Honestly, so I wouldn’t say the same play,” Boutte told MassLive after the game. “Obviously, at the end of the day, it was a go-ball. Great throw by him. Great catch.”
The moment meant a lot for the Patriots.
The team went into halftime up, 21-10, following an ugly first half that saw Maye and Stroud turn the ball over at will. This AFC divisional matchup featured two ferocious defenses, slippery inclement weather, and two young quarterbacks trying to get their team to the AFC Championship game.
Maye threw an interception (on a Hail Mary) and fumbled the ball four times, losing it twice. Stroud wasn’t better, throwing four interceptions in the first half. However, the Texans’ second-half adjustments led to them outscoring the Patriots 6-0 in the third quarter.
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The Gillette Stadium crowd was getting quieter as the two teams entered the fourth quarter with the Patriots clinging to a 21-16 lead. The Patriots needed a championship-caliber play to send them to Denver .
And they received it on third down when Maye threw a prayer up toward the dark, snowy sky on Sunday night.
“We talk about not going in the blender. And I think it’s hard,” Mike Vrabel said. “They put pressure on us, and we know we’ve got to take care of the ball. Drake knows that. But to be able to stay the course and to trust Kayshon and give him a great ball that was him or nobody, and those guys have kind of done that all year -- when we needed a play, they’ve been able to do that for us.”
There was no coming back for the Texans after that score. The Patriots’ defense was too dominant. They held Houston to a three-and-out on their next drive, forced a punt on the one after that, and forced a turnover on downs to end the game.
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In that touchdown pass, growth was also seen.
For Boutte, it was the result of impressive development on and off the field. In 2023, the rookie receiver played in five games, making two catches for 19 yards. Last season, after that first touchdown catch in Houston, he showed he was a reliable target.
This year, Boutte showed he was a capable No. 2 receiver in the NFL, finishing the season with a team-high six touchdown catches.
After Sunday’s game, Maye made note of the similarities between Boutte’s touchdown catch and the one he had last year, with one caveat.
“He keeps on making them. He keeps on making plays, making me look good,” Maye said. “I’m proud to be able to give him some throws to make a play on it. A one-handed catch, not much else to say about it. It was pretty sweet. Kind of the same type of throw as my first one to him. And he made an even better catch this time. Props to Kayshon for keep on playing. He was huge for us tonight.”
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Maye’s first touchdown pass, on Oct. 13, 2024, gave the Patriots and their fans hope. The team still lost, 41-21, that day. They exited the regular season with a 4-13 record, and Jerod Mayo was fired.
Heading into this season, the Patriots had a glimmer of hope. They had a young quarterback with elite athleticism and an elite arm. The question was whether Maye could develop into a top 10 quarterback.
It didn’t take him long to prove that to be the case. Maye exited this season as a Pro Bowler, second-team All-Pro, and among the favorites for the NFL MVP award. With him, the Patriots have more than hope for the future.
They have a legitimate chance to reach the Super Bowl.
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“He is who he is for a reason. Nothing can make him flinch,” Patriots tackle Will Campbell said. “I like our chances anytime he’s in the game. He’s just a heck of a player. Even better leader. Wouldn’t want anybody else commanding the huddle.”
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