Jerod Mayo might be getting sick of hearing questions about Drake Maye.
On Monday, Mayo shut down a radio host who asked whether Maye could play sooner than expected, given how good the New England Patriots’ offensive line looked in Sunday’s win over the Bengals.
Mayo instead doubled down on starter Jacoby Brissett, who was rock-solid in New England’s stunning upset of Cincinnati.
Jerod Mayo Stiff-Arms Question About Drake Maye After New England Patriots’ Win
During Mayo’s Monday morning appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” co-host Jermaine Wiggins asked the first-year head coach whether the Patriots could run special packages for Maye in the coming weeks. Mayo wasn’t having any of it.
Here’s the full exchange:
Wiggins: “Now, is there any chance, with the offensive line playing as well as they played, that we’ll start to see maybe some Drake Maye packages? Because, when you think about running the football…”
Mayo: “Come on. Come on, Wiggy. We won the game. Come on, Wiggy. It’s about Jacoby.”
Wiggins: “That RPO looks good! I’m just asking the question!”
Mayo: “It’s about Jacoby. I would also say, look, Jacoby, how many plays did he make yesterday with his legs? From a defensive perspective, you don’t really expect that, and when he does, he does it. He did a good job. Jacoby did a good job controlling the game, not making mistakes. We won the turnover battle. We won the hidden yardage battle, and that’s what I’m talking about.”
Jerod Mayo joins for "Mayo Monday!"
Does Greg owe Mayo an apology? How is Mayo tuning out the "noise"? What did Mayo think of Jacoby Brissett? @WEEI pic.twitter.com/A1KuGmcT5c— The Greg Hill Show (@TheGregHillShow) September 9, 2024
Mayo further endorsed Brissett later in the show when asked about Maye’s timeline.
“As a coaching staff, as an organization, we’re 100% behind Jacoby,” Mayo said. ” … We’re 100% behind Jacoby, and we have a developmental plan for Drake. It’s not for you guys to know what the developmental plan is, but we’re developing him as well as getting Jacoby ready to go out there and be our starting quarterback and win games.”
Mayo added: “Jacoby won the competition, and he won the game yesterday. … The guys are behind him. We’re moving forward, and we’re getting ready for Seattle. … Drake’s on the same page.”
Mayo is right to stand by Brissett, who deserved to win the Patriots’ quarterback competition and is the right choice to start games early in the season. And Brissett proved both points with his play in the season opener.
Jacoby Brissett Showed Why He Deserves To Be Starter in Win Over Cincinnati Bengals
The Patriots entered Sunday’s game in Cincinnati as 8.5-point underdogs against the Bengals. But New England beat the odds to score a 16-10 upset, and Brissett was a big reason why.
The veteran’s numbers won’t blow you away. He completed just 15 of 24 passes for 121 yards and zero touchdowns, and his longest completion went for 17 yards. Brissett’s limitations were also on display when the Patriots’ offense stalled for long stretches of the game.
But New England never was going to get into a shootout with the Bengals, and none of the players will tell you the Patriots have a high-powered offense. If the Patriots’ offense is going to be effective this season, it will need to get by on being tough, limiting mistakes, and executing in key situations.
Brissett checked all three boxes Sunday, especially on a touchdown-scoring drive in the first quarter and a field-goal drive in the fourth.
The 31-year-old QB was excellent at managing pressure (he took just one sack), standing tall in the pocket, and ensuring the offense was organized in important situations.
Brissett also took multiple big hits on a day that saw New England’s maligned offensive line excel in run blocking but somewhat struggle in pass protection.
“It was great,” Mayo said of Brissett after the game. “He made plays with his legs; he made plays with his arm. He’s a tough guy. He took some hits in the game, I’m just like, ‘Man, get up.’
“He did everything that we asked him to do in the week, and we came out of here with a victory.”
LIVE: Patriots Postgame Press Conferences: https://t.co/skyEhym7an
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 8, 2024
Maye is the future of the franchise. And given how good he looked late in training camp, he probably will get a chance to play sometime in 2024.
But this wasn’t the kind of game for him. The Patriots needed to avoid a back-breaking mistake to beat the Bengals, and it’s hard to envision a scenario in which Maye emerged unscathed from Cincy’s relentless pressure. It’s easy to imagine Maye trying to do too much and either taking a sack or turning the ball over in a big spot. He’s a rookie, after all.
Plus, the Patriots don’t want Maye taking the kind of hits that Brissett took on Sunday. Playing Maye behind the O-line in its current state would be too risky.
Brissett is the ideal bridge quarterback for the Patriots. He has just enough tools to give the team a chance to win, and he is also a respected leader who understands the reality of his situation.
“I think I cried three times before the game,” Brissett said during his postgame news conference. “I cried when I got to the stadium. Mayo came up to me before the game, he started laughing, he’s like, ‘Man, you’re about to win us this game. you’re about to ball out.’ I’d never heard that from a coach. That meant a lot to me.
“And then I cried when we were going out on offense. My emotions were definitely high. It’s definitely a moment that I just can’t take for granted. These things don’t come by often.”