The New England Patriots made an unusual decision in their season finale against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, though it was fairly obvious what they were trying to accomplish.
The Patriots held the No. 1 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft entering Week 18. They needed a loss to secure the pick, and many wondered if they would bench their starters in order to tank. Head coach Jerod Mayo did not rule out sitting Drake Maye, but the rookie quarterback got the start.
Maye played just one series against Buffalo. He was pulled from the game and replaced by fellow rookie Joe Milton after the Patriots went three-and-out and Maye was sacked on third down.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson, tight end Hunter Henry and some other New England starters only payed one series as well. Naturally, that led to everyone saying the Patriots were trying to lose.
“Teams don’t tank.” https://t.co/mbsXAR0sws
— Giants Daily (@NYGDaily) January 5, 2025
Drake Maye, Rhamondre Stevenson, Mike Onwenu and Hunter Henry all out of the game after one drive. The tank is on, which is the smart move for the #Patriots
— George Balekji (@GeorgeBalekji) January 5, 2025
#Patriots pulled their starters to tank for No. 1 pick in #nfldraft https://t.co/RWnE5Hq1Go
— Ryan Dunleavy (@rydunleavy) January 5, 2025
NOOOO! Commissioner! PUNISH THEM FOR THE OBVIOUS TANK!! #Titans https://t.co/OFDbR72aRH
— MJ (@TheMJTake) January 5, 2025
What most people did not understand is why the Patriots bothered having Maye and their other starters play a series. The game also meant nothing to the Bills, who are locked into the No. 2 seed in the AFC. Josh Allen started the game to preserve his streak of 115 consecutive games started, but what was the point of having Maye play at all?
It is possible Mayo was simply doing what he was told. There are still questions about whether the first-year coach will be fired, but we can’t imagine Mayo was the one who decided putting the best lineup on the field for just one series was the most sensible approach.
