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New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo will stick with Jacoby Brissett as his starting quarterback — for now. And some folks think that’s just plain silly. But an NFL insider delivered a warning that calls for Drake Maye to start are premature.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano said the Patriots should hold their horses, and keep Maye in the stable. Graziano revealed his thoughts in his Week 3 overreactions column.
“New England's offense opened Week 3 with a lifeless performance against the Jets on Thursday night,” Graziano wrote. “(The Patriots) looked noncompetitive against the Jets' (admittedly very tough) defense.”
Patriots QB Drake Maye makes NFL debut
With the Patriots unable to move the football against the Jets, totaling only 139 yards of offense, Maye came off the bench. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards in the late stages of the game.
“Maye showed more promise and dynamism in the preseason than Brissett,” Graziano wrote. “But the Patriots wanted to open the season with Brissett as the starter so as not to rush Maye into action too soon and risk botching his development. It was sound logic, but the way it's going makes you wonder how long they'll last before switching to a younger QB who looks like he might be a more effective option.”
That thinking shouldn’t be allowed to fly, Graziano opined. Part of the reason is the Patriots’ shaky offensive line.
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“The Patriots' offensive line is playing like a wet Kleenex,” Graziano wrote. “Brissett took five sacks while he was in there, and Maye took two in his brief stint. New England's O-line came into the season with question marks, and it has lost several key players to injury since then.”
The Patriots had their concerns Maye might get hurt, or discouraged, playing behind a weak offensive line. Graziano said the Patriots are wise to take their time with Maye.
“More young quarterbacks get ruined than made in this league, and the Pats took Maye with the third pick believing he would be their long-term franchise QB,” Graziano wrote. “They can't risk a situation in which his confidence gets shattered in his first season. They should resist the temptation to play him over Brissett until the group around him looks at least a little bit more reliable.”
What is the problem with Graziano’s comments?
If the logic goes like this: Don’t play Maye behind a suspect offensive line. That means Maye won’t start the entire season. That’s because the Patriots aren’t going to be able to solve their offensive-line woes on the fly during the season. They will have to rebuild in the draft and maybe bring in a free agent — or two.
But the problem is a full wasted season for Maye. He needs to start before the 2024 campaign ends, especially if the Patriots fall out of the playoff hunt. Maye doesn’t have to start this week, but it probably needs to happen before the season is half over.
