Drake Maye’s near-MVP run in 2025 feels like a distant memory for Patriots fans. After a disastrous three-turnover opener against Seattle, Maye spiraled again in a 35–6 loss to Jacksonville. The headline play? A crucial end-zone throw picked off by Travis Hunter, which became the two-way superstar’s first NFL career interception. But the real spark ignited seconds later on the sideline: when Jaguars defender Josh Hines-Allen tried to retrieve the keepsake for Hunter, he ran headfirst into a stubborn NFL staffer just trying to do his job.

“You can’t touch me!” the staffer can be heard in a video captured by Spectrum News 13’s Brandon Green. “He pushed me!”

With 1:02 left in the first half and the Jaguars holding a 14–3 lead, New England faced a critical third-and-goal from the 2-yard line. Drake Maye dropped back and lofted a pass toward receiver Efton Chism III in the back corner of the end zone. Hunter leaped, outmaneuvering Chism in mid-air to snatch the ball and protect Jacksonville’s lead.

For Hunter, this moment was 385 days in the making after suffering a season-ending knee injury seven games into his 2025 rookie campaign. Before that, he recorded 15 tackles and three pass breakups. This season, Hunter added five tackles and a breakup through Sunday, highlighted by his first career NFL turnover. The sheer exhilaration was obvious as Hunter broke into an impromptu dance right in front of the broadcast cameras, followed by a quiet sense of relief.

“Yeah, a little bit,” Hunter said after Jacksonville’s 35–6 victory over the New England Patriots at EverBank Stadium on Sunday. “Interceptions are great to catch, but I was focused on winning the game and continuing to focus on the next play.”

Recognizing the magnitude of his teammate’s long-awaited milestone, Hines-Allen, who is also the Jaguars’ defensive captain, stepped up to secure the game ball as a souvenir. But what should have been a standard gesture quickly spiraled into a heated exchange.

The ballboy resisted handing it over. In the NFL, league equipment staff strictly monitor game balls, a process made tighter by embedded microchips that transmit proprietary tracking data to the league. Staffers are under no obligation to yield game balls to players, even though doing so for milestone plays is customary across the league. Considering teams are allocated 54 designated game balls, relinquishing one for a historic career first is standard practice.

Unaware of the play’s significance to Hunter, the staffer held his ground. The confrontation escalated rapidly, complete with physical contact and a visceral reaction from the equipment manager that nearly boiled over. While Hines-Allen’s push to secure the souvenir for his young star was driven by veteran leadership, the resulting physical interaction could put him in line for an NFL fine, especially considering this isn’t the first time the pass rusher has found himself in the middle of on-field drama.

During the Colts’ game against the Jaguars in December 2025, Travon Walker brought Rivers down near the end of the third quarter. As Rivers got back on his feet, he casually tossed the ball toward Josh Hines-Allen. He then went to the ground, seemingly trying to draw a penalty. However, the nearby umpire saw the exchange and kept the flag in his pocket. Hines-Allen also turned down Rivers’ offer to help him back up.

The two exchanged words and briefly got into each other’s faces before teammates stepped in to separate them. No penalty was called on the play. But even with such rough moments, the Jaguars made their way through the end and won.

Last night, Jacksonville successfully bounced back from their loss to Denver by beating the Patriots, improving to 2–1. Trevor Lawrence had a strong game, throwing three touchdown passes while completing 19 of 29 passes for 182 yards with an interception. However, the same can’t be said for his counterpart.

In the third quarter, Drake Maye’s nightmare outing hit rock bottom. Attempting a sideline pass to Kyle Williams, Maye’s throw was again jumped by Jaguars cornerback Jarrian Jones, who intercepted the pass and returned it 32 yards down to the New England 5-yard line. Jacksonville punched in a touchdown on the very next play, stretching their lead to an insurmountable 28–3 and putting the game completely out of reach.

For Maye, the post-game accountability was swift, but the frustration was palpable:

“I can’t get out of my own way, personally,” Maye said. “I have to look myself in the mirror and take this as a turning point.”

The third-quarter pick marked Maye’s third giveaway of the afternoon and his seventh turnover of the young season. The troubling trend runs deeper: Maye now has 15 turnovers in his last six-plus games dating back to the start of last season’s playoffs. Through the first three quarters on Sunday, his seven total turnovers stood as the highest mark in the NFL against just a single touchdown pass.