"For the most part, they have been praised for their performance, which has now led to a shocking 10-2 record, but the doubters have come out in full force, with one of the most vocal being Cam Newton. The newest co-host on ESPN's "First Take" hasn't minced words in his critiquing of his former team and the second-year quarterback. He's gone so far as to claim that the Patriots are "fool's gold" and will be "one and done" in the playoffs, no matter where they're seeded."
"But he's also had pointed things to say about Maye, consistently downplaying the kind of season he's been having, and has now created even more enemies in New England because of it. Despite knowing how much of a fan Maye was of his growing up as a Panthers fan, Newton hasn't backed down from his harsh critiques, which heightened in the days leading up to their most recent game against the Bengals on Sunday."
"A moment before the game with WR Stefon Diggs, NFL cameras caught the pair working on their handshake, as they usually do in warmups. This time was different, however, as Diggs performed the Superman pose that Newton was famous for, something Maye did when he scored a touchdown against the Panthers earlier in the season, but he visibly declined the gesture and passed on honoring Newton during the handshake."
Season-long debate surrounds Drake Maye and the New England Patriots as praise for their surprising 10-2 record clashes with vocal criticism from Cam Newton. Newton, now an ESPN "First Take" co-host, called the Patriots "fool's gold" and predicted they would be "one and done" in the playoffs, while repeatedly downplaying Maye's season and drawing ire in New England. The criticism appeared to affect Maye ahead of the Week 12 game against the Bengals. During pregame warmups, NFL cameras captured Maye and Stefon Diggs working on their handshake; Diggs mimicked Newton's Superman pose, but Maye visibly declined to honor the gesture. The moment fueled speculation that public critiques influenced Maye's altered pregame ritual.
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