FOXBOROUGH – Austin Hooper has built some chemistry down the stretch Drake Maye.
Over the past four games, the veteran tight end has caught 15 passes from the rookie quarterback for 200 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Talking in the dressing room at Gillette Stadium On Monday morning, Hooper credited Maye for getting him into the end zone against the Colts.
“It opened me up again,” Hooper said. “The kid’s good, man. Every game you can see the linear progression with him understanding the concepts. His eyes. Where he starts. Picking up blitzes. Slip guards.”
- BETTING: Check out our MA Sports Betting Guidewhere you can learn basic terminology, definitions and how to read the odds for those interested in learning how to bet in Massachusetts.
However, the nine-year vet was more excited about something that will never appear as a box score positive.
“The greatest play was, you would call it a negative play, (Maye) realized there was nothing there. Go to the middle of the field, take a short sack,” Hooper said. “These are the things that don’t show up on the stat sheet, but if you know about it, you say, ‘That’s growth.’ This is huge. So it’s little things like that. Get the ball out, switch protection, make smart business decisions. Like, okay, there’s nothing, instead of throwing a 50-50 (pass), we’re in a place where we can get points. center it Take a short sack. Gives the kicker a high percentage of opportunities. So it’s little things like that where you see him every week understanding it more and more. So the progression has been the funnest part.”
30 years into his fifth NFL team, Hooper is well aware of the reality of 21st century football.
“Breaking news: You only go as high as your quarterback,” Hooper said. “It doesn’t matter what team you’re on, what level you’re at, you go all the way to the QB. So as you understand more, become more comfortable, things will open up. You don’t want to throw a kid in the deep end with cinder blocks at his feet, so every week you see a little more of him at the plate. A little more You’re seeing how he’s progressed and you can see the field. You see him making checks, taking the short sack when we can get points, lots of interesting details.”
A free agent at the end of the season, Hooper said he would “absolutely” like to continue playing alongside Maye, but also acknowledged the business side of the league.
“A great guy. A fun player,” Hooper said. “Great person in the locker room. I’m not going to get into the business stuff, my job is just to bust my ass on the field and however it ends, it ends. But wherever he is, I’ll still be a Drake fan.”