The wait finally ended for New England Patriots fans on Thursday night.
Drake Maye replaced Jacoby Brissett for the final drive in New England’s ugly 24-3 road loss to the New York Jets. It was the regular-season debut for the rookie, who pushed for the starting quarterback job late in the summer but lost to Brissett.
Maye only entered the game because it was out of reach, but could he get the start when the Patriots visit the San Francisco 49ers in Week 4?
Mayo was asked that question during his postgame news conference.
How Did Drake Maye Do in His NFL Debut?
Maye took 16 snaps on the final drive and completed four of eight passes for 22 yards while adding two carries for 12 yards. The No. 3 overall pick also was sacked twice, which was the theme of the night for the Patriots.
Maye nearly threw an interception on his first play but settled down afterward. He converted on a third down with a 2-yard pass to Kayson Boutte and converted on two fourth-down tries, one via pass and one via scramble.
Maye was sacked for a 5-yard loss on the game’s final play.
Drake Maye wasn't expecting the snap but he connects with Pop Douglas to convert 4th and long anyway pic.twitter.com/9qoLm5c6EG
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 20, 2024
Here’s a full breakdown of Maye’s 16 snaps:
- Incomplete to Austin Hooper.
- Antonio Gibson 7-yard run.
- Maye 1-yard scramble.
- Gibson 5-yard run.
- Complete to Gibson for 0 yards.
- Gibson 8-yard run.
- Complete to Boutte for 2 yards.
- Sack for 8-yard loss.
- JaMycal Hasty 5-yard run.
- Complete to DeMario Douglas for 5 yards.
- Maye 11-yard scramble.
- Incomplete to Hooper.
- Incomplete to Boutte.
- Incomplete to Douglas.
- Complete to Douglas for 15 yards.
- Sack for 5-yard loss.
Maye’s evening ended with a postgame embrace with Aaron Rodgers.
Could Maye Start Over Jacoby Brissett in Week 4?
Brissett did all he could in the loss, completing 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards. The veteran had no chance while taking five sacks and at least 10 hits, many of which left him in clear pain.
With the Patriots facing a 10-day break, could Maye get the start in Week 4?
“I don’t know,” Mayo told reporters. “We talk about it every single week: You’re competing for a job. We’ll get together as a coaching staff and see how it goes.”
When asked after the game if he still viewed himself as the starter, Brissett said, “Of course.” Maye said he’d be ready if called upon.
Patriots rookie QB Drake Maye said he'd be ready if called on to start. Says he prepares like the starter every week.
— Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) September 20, 2024
It’s hard to envision the Patriots starting Maye, given the current state of the offensive line, which was terrible Thursday night. Yes, getting hit hard is a reality of life in the NFL, but the negatives, including potential injury, outweigh any positives that could be gained from playing Maye against the 49ers.
Until things settle down on the O-line, the Patriots shouldn’t rush their prized young quarterback into game action.
Jerod Mayo Explains Why He Played Maye in Blowout Loss to Jets
Mayo said he, not offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, decided to put Maye into the game.
“That’s my decision,” said Mayo, who previously has described Van Pelt as the “head coach” of the offense.
LIVE: Patriots Postgame Press Conferences: https://t.co/ikdOScI595
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 20, 2024
It was somewhat surprising to see Maye enter the game, given what Brissett endured over the first three-plus quarters. But Mayo believed it was the right time to expose Maye to regular-season action.
“I just thought it was a good opportunity for him to go out there with the (starters) and put a few drives together,” Mayo said. “He moved the ball. We’ll watch the film and evaluate.”
Mayo admitted he considered the offensive line’s struggles before summoning Maye.
“It definitely was something that I thought of, personally,” Mayo said. “But at the same time, I thought it was too good of an opportunity for him to go out there and get some experience.”
Mayo added: “In the second half, I felt like our offensive line — they just weren’t blocking the way they did at earlier parts of the game.”
Mayo likely will field more questions about Maye during his virtual news conference on Friday morning. The Patriots will take the weekend off before reconvening early next week.