Patriots Daily
Patriots Daily: Why Would New England Start Drake Maye Now?
Now that the New England Patriots have put Drake Maye into an NFL game, people are asking when the rookie will get his first NFL start. Is Maye more ready to play in Week 4 than he was to start the season? Possibly. His short stint on Thursday night showed his mobility to avoid pressure, running for 11 yards and a first down on one run. He also got crushed on his other run and sacked twice. The 4-for-8 passing performance was an afterthought to the peril he was under on every snap.
If Drake Maye’s starting depends on Jacoby Brissett’s performance, nothing changed. To paraphrase former Minnesota Vikings coach Dennis Green, Brissett is what we thought he was. New England ranks last in the NFL in passing yards. The only four teams with fewer yards of offense have yet to play in Week 3.
Brissett shares the NFL record for lowest career interception percentage (1.4%) with Aaron Rodgers. He’s thrown zero interceptions in 2024. He minimizes negative plays and shows incredible toughness. Jacoby Brissett has provided exactly what was expected of him. Did anyone think the veteran would suddenly morph into a mobile quarterback with amazing downfield accuracy? If so, that’s on them.
Why Would a Change Be Made Now?
So, if a QB change is made now, why? The offensive line has not shown a better ability to keep Maye safe. If anything, things are trending in the wrong direction on pass protection. Has Maye shown more since Brissett was named the starter than he showed throughout training camp? Tough to say. His performance on Thursday is difficult to evaluate as it came in “garbage time” against the New York Jets.
Starting Drake Maye likely helps the New England Patriots generate more offense. He is more mobile than Jacoby Brissett and a better downfield passer. Maye starting likely leads to more negative plays and exposes the rookie to a potential beating. From this perspective, everything is the same entering Week 4 as it was in Week 1.
If Drake Maye is the best choice to start now, why wasn’t he starting all along? And if Jacoby Brissett was the best option to start in Week 1, what has changed? Unless somebody can answer either of these questions, it’s unclear why Brissett would be replaced now from this perspective.
Also in Monday’s Patriots Daily:
Patriots Fact/Trivia of the Day
The New England Patriots drafted five quarterbacks in the first round since the 1970 AFC-NFL merger. Three started in Week 1 as rookies: Jim Plunkett (1971), Drew Bledsoe (1993), and Mac Jones (2021).
Tony Eason (1983) waited until Week 13 of his rookie year, sitting behind veteran Steve Grogan. Drake Maye remains TBD.
Post of the Day
Today’s post comes from New England Patriots wide receiver Ja’Lynn Polk. He’s got a baby on the way and it’s going to be a boy. Congratulations!
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