“I went to see twice last season… was there anything about his game specifically that stood out to you?” a reporter lobbed at Mack Hollins, sparking a grin from the Patriots’ newest wideout. Cue the vibes: ‘Believe!’ Because in Foxborough, hope springs eternal—even when your rookie QB, Drake Maye, tosses 15 TDs and 10 picks (66.66%-2,276 YDs)in a season that felt like a rollercoaster designed by M. Night Shyamalan.

Let’s cut through the noise. Hollins, the NFL’s Swiss Army knife (career stats: 162 catches, 2,069 yards, 15 TDs), isn’t here to coddle. But when asked about Maye, the 22-year-old QB who scrambled for 421 yards (“7.8 per carry, baby!”), his tone softens like a dad coaching T-ball. He said, “I think as a as a young player confidence is hard to get but him being able to have confidence in his game that early is great to see. Because it’s not easy to walk into a league of, you know, you got some guys that are 40, you got some guys that are 20. Uh, it’s such a range…”

He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in, before continuing, “…and to be able to have confidence walking into a room like that, uh, is not easy to do. But to be able to watch him and I’m only watching from the sideline when he’s in on offense and we’re going over stuff on the sidelines so it’s not like I was studying them. But to be able to see glimpses of it when I was able to watch was great.” Translation: Rookie QBs usually fold faster than a lawn chair in a hurricane. Not Maye.

Picture this: Week 1, 2024. Maye, making his debut against Houston, drops three TDs and out-rushes everyone like he’s channeling young Josh Allen. Hollins, sidelined but smirking, knew the kid had it. “I’m only watching from the sideline… but glimpses? Oh, they were there.”

Fast-forward to January 2025: Maye’s Pro Bowl proves Hollins’ gut right. Now, with the Pats re-signing Austin Hooper, Hollins is ready to be Maye’s security blanket—or his hype man. “Pop [Demario Douglas]? Can’t guard him in a phone booth,” Maye once cracked. Add Hollins’ 6’4” frame, and suddenly, New England’s offense looks less The Departed and more Oceans 11.

Davante Adams’ shadow: How a Raiders stint forged Mack’s mojo

But let’s rewind. Before Hollins became Buffalo’s TD leader (5 scores in 2024), he was in Vegas, soaking up game from Davante Adams like a sponge in a monsoon. “I’ve taken things from, you know, a Davante Adams when I was in Vegas. So I think the game is not transactional, but you take things from guys. I’ve taken things from O-linemen, from D…little things that have changed my game…and I hope that guys have, you know, later in their career can say hey Mac helped me do XYZ.” His words, a cascade of candor and humility, paint a picture of a player forever in the process of learning and teaching. Hollins, however, downplays his role in Jaylen Waddle’s rise (“by no means am I responsible!”).

Classic Hollins—humble, but let’s not forget: In 2022, as Adams torched defenses for 1,516 yards, Hollins quietly racked up 690 yards himself. Raiders coaches dubbed him “the Davante Adams of special teams”—a nod to his grit and glue-guy swagger. Adams, ever the mentor, once joked about Hollins’ motor-mouth: “Never annoying… just… frequent.”

But when Hollins snagged a 34-yard TD in the 2024 AFC Championship, it was Adams’ lessons that flashed: high-point catches, route nuance, swagger. Now in New England, Hollins channels that wisdom. “The game’s not transactional,” he says. ‘You steal moves like you’re in Mission: Impossible—Your mission, should you choose to accept it…’

Meanwhile, in Foxborough, history hums. The End Zone Militia fires muskets after scores; Cheers blares during timeouts. Hollins, the new guy, fits like a duck boat in a parade. “First down!” chants erupt—he’ll hear it often, especially if Maye’s “passer first” mantra (88.1 rating in 2024) pays off. And let’s not sleep on Josh Allen’s imprint: Hollins’ “excellent conditioning” quip about Maye’s scrambles? Pure Allen energy.

So here’s the score: Hollins, 31, isn’t here for participation trophies. He’s here to mold Maye, chase rings, and maybe, just maybe, make Patriots fans forget the post-Tom Brady blues. As Adams once said, “Authenticity is everything.” And in Gillette Stadium, where tradition meets tomorrow, Hollins’ blend of Adams-taught finesse and Allen-forged grit might just be the anthem New England needs. R-E-L-A-X, folks. The rebuild’s got flavor.