Like most Patriots evaluators before the draft, quarterbacks coach T.C. McCartney liked what he saw from Drake Maye.

Maybe even loved.

The arm, athleticism and playmaking.

The maturity and humility Maye demonstrated in meetings.

But it was one thing to study Maye as a prospect, a college player and theoretical addition to the team.

It was entirely another to welcome Maye and shake his hand after the front office drafted him third overall, do so day after day after day.

Over the first few months, the coaching staff found Maye to be a quick learner. He studied hard and stayed late, slowly mastering new footwork and NFL-style play-calls. The quarterback they had studied at North Carolina was translating to the NFL.

But until late in the summer, there were a couple critical areas where Maye hadn’t flashed yet; areas that according to McCartney usually make or break top picks like him.

“I’d say the biggest thing is, can young quarterbacks see the field? And can they see the field under pressure? Can they see the field in dirty pockets? Can they see the field when the (defense) changes on them?” McCartney said Friday.

Once Maye not only survived, but thrived under preseason pressure against the Eagles and then Commanders in the preseason, the Patriots believed they had their answer. Then, as Maye hung in the pocket and delivered completions while taking massive hits in his first two regular-season starts, they knew they did.

“Until you see it in an NFL game, you haven’t seen it,” McCartney said. “And we’ve seen it.”

All told, Maye’s development is right on time, if not ahead of schedule.

“His development is where we need to be right now,” Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt said this week. “I think he saw the field extremely well last week. He knew exactly what the defense was giving him and when they tried to disguise. (He) took advantage of some throws down the field in those situations. So his development, I’m really happy with what he’s done from week to week.”

“I think he’s developed, even in the offseason, very, very quickly, which is good,” McCartney added.

So what’s next?

“The very first thing is let’s win a game. That’s the first thing in the developmental plan – let’s find a way to win a game,” McCartney said. “As a quarterback, that’s our job whatever that calls for. Other than that, it’s continuing the path that he’s doing. Continue to see different defenses, continuing to make the right decision play in and play out.

“I think you saw that from Week 1 to Week 2, he definitely improved from the turnovers to no turnovers.”

In reviewing Maye’s first two starts, when he’s thrown five touchdowns to interceptions and posted a passer rating of 99.2, McCartney said the rookie has made mistakes, but also done “great things.”

“You see his poise. I think you see the way he handles pressure,” McCartney said. “Whether it’s dirty pockets or coverages that weren’t necessarily the No. 1 coverages. I think he’s seeing the field well. So those are good signs.”

Maye has injected new life into the Patriots’ offense with his arm and legs. Previously, passing players were dead once opposing defenses had all receivers covered, knowing Jacoby Brissett wasn’t a threat to scramble. Now, Maye is leading the team in rushing the past two games, picking up 58 yards entirely off of scrambles that have helped extend drives.

“It gives us the ability to make plays when things aren’t there, and we’ve seen that from Drake. If nobody’s open, he’ll pull it down and run, that definitely gives you an advantage in pass (protection),” Van Pelt said.

Van Pelt has taken the lead on Maye’s development, with McCartney and senior offensive assistant Ben McAdoo close behind. McAdoo has coached Maye on his new footwork, both on under-center drops and inside the pocket as he makes his reads. McAdoo and Van Pelt ran the same drills in Green Bay, where they worked with a young Aaron Rodgers. Assistant quarterbacks coach/director of game management Evan Rothstein is also working with Maye.

The 22-year-old’s ability to extend plays has stood out to head coach Jerod Mayo, who is on the record saying that is a quarterback’s most important trait in the modern game. This week, though, Mayo said he doesn’t want to see deep balls or long runs from Maye.

He just wants a win.

“You look for him to continue to get better and operate the huddle. We always talk about limiting turnovers, whoever the quarterback is. We need to win this game right here,” he said. “That’s the main focus.”

In a now famous team meeting Thursday morning, Mayo ceded the floor to an injured Patriots captain.

Linebacker Ja’Whaun Bentley stepped up and called out the entire team.

He told players they weren’t working hard enough. Not rehabbing hard enough. That they needed to study longer, and care more. Do everything you have been, Bentley said, but more of it. And better.

According to a team source, Bentley and Mayo were the only ones to speak in the meeting. Bentley said the team’s investment in winning was reflected in their 1-6 record. The Patriots have lost six straight since their season-opening upset at Cincinnati, a game they had prepared for more than any other this season.

Bentley compelled his younger teammates not to get comfortable with losing, something second-year players in New England have only known with a lifetime record of 5-19. Bentley admitted he had to learn hard lessons early in his career. He also acknowledged that even perfect preparation might not lead to a win over the Jets.

But by failing to give maximum effort during the week, Bentley said the Patriots would fail to maximize their chances of winning on Sunday; something that had happened far too often already.

“I loved it,” one veteran told the Herald.

Callahan: Patriots’ best trade chip opens up about future and more Week 8 thoughts

It wasn't the first time Bentley had addressed the team. Two days before the team's season opener in 2023, Bentley ripped teammates after a poor Friday practice. The Pats later lost their opener, but held the then reigning NFC champion Eagles to 18 points, and defensive players credited Bentley for his leadership post-game.

Thursday's address, however, was unusual for two reasons.

No. 1: injured players rarely stay with the team day-to-day, let alone help run a team meeting. But one veteran didn't mind.

"(Bentley)'s earned that right," one player said.

No. 2: Wednesday morning meetings set the tone for the week, and three days earlier, wide receiver Kendrick Bourne suggested players had stayed out too late and not eaten the right away before their loss in London. Bourne later told MassLive that Bentley effectively called out "the elephant in the room."

Defenders have clearly felt Bentley's absence on the field. The Patriots have allowed roughly 170 rushing yards per game since he went on injured reserve. On Sunday, they will try to reverse that trend with Bentley's message in mind.

How Patriots reacted to Bill Belichick’s criticism of Jerod Mayo

In most of his various media appearances this week, Bill Belichick was critical of Mayo for calling the Patriots "soft" after their loss to Jacksonville.

Mayo later clarified he meant the team was playing soft, failing to stop the run, run the ball and cover kicks. After that clarification, Belichick said on The Pat McAfee Show that much of the Pats' defensive personnel remains the same from last year, when the Patriots fielded an excellent run defense. While largely true, the Pats have lost three off their top seven tacklers from 2023, who also formed the spine of that defense: Christian Barmore, Bentley and safety Jabrill Peppers,

On Thursday, first-year defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington responded to Belichick's criticism.

“I don’t really look too much into it like that. Bill has done some great things for me,” Covington said. "He’s the one who brought me here. I learned a lot of good things from him. Obviously I was the defensive line coach for four years, and before that I was the outside linebacker coach and the inside linebacker coach.

"We’ve been to Super Bowls, we’ve not been to Super Bowls. We’ve been to the highest of the valley. Been to the lowest of the valley. So I don’t really focus on that."

Covington joined the Patriots in 2017 as a coaching assistant, then received a promotion to outside linebackers coach and moved over to coach the defensive line from 2020-23.

"Well, coach Stacey (James) over there is always telling me, ‘focus on the Jets.’ " -- Jerod Mayo, explaining why he opened with a long opening statement at his Friday press conference as he pointed to Patriots vice president of communications Stacey James