How Patriots QB Drake Maye won over the locker room in his first NFL start

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Drake Maye's first NFL start felt like a game of tug of war: the New England Patriots offense against the New England Patriots offense. 

Maye against Maye.

It was not surprising that when Maye stepped on the field for his first drive against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium on Sunday, the Patriots were already down 7-0. It felt symbolic: beginning his career from behind. This Patriots roster looks incomplete, and the No. 3 overall pick will have to deal with the lack of a supporting cast for as long as he plays this season.

Against DeMeco Ryans' blitz-happy defense, Maye was working with an offensive line that included a starting center, Ben Brown, who'd flown overnight from Las Vegas on Wednesday after signing off the Raiders' practice squad. And Brown was a member of the sixth offensive line combination in six weeks for New England. Running back Rhamondre Stevenson missed the game with an injury. And the offense is still devoid of an elite playmaker, with the team whiffing on acquiring receivers Brandon Aiyuk and Calvin Ridley over the past six months.

But the Maye we saw in the fourth quarter was a hell of a lot different than the one we saw in the first quarter.

Spoiler alert: Maye didn't win. The Texans blew out the Patriots 41-21. 

But Maye won over his locker room.

"He's going to get better and better. It's going to get scary," receiver Demario Douglas, who finished the game- with a career-high 92 yards and his first career touchdown, told FOX Sports.

It was a game of firsts. There was Douglas' TD. Maye threw the first three touchdowns of his career. Kayshon Boutte scored his first. It was hardly tight end Hunter Henry's first touchdown, but he scored — and left the game with a positive