The New England Patriots were as proactive as the franchise has been since they parted ways with Tom Brady. After Drake Maye impressed virtually everyone in the building and the NFL world as a whole, the organization wasted no time in surrounding him with the right pieces on both offense and defense. The first week of preseason gave a glimpse of that action.
However, keeping health and injury concerns in mind, the starters’ status is a genuine question mark heading into Week 2 of the preseason against the Minnesota Vikings. New England got some valuable joint practices against the group. But it remains to be seen what decision their new head coach, Mike Vrabel, plans for the game against Minnesota?
Will Drake Maye and Key Patriots Starters Play Against the Vikings?
Against the Washington Commanders in the first week of preseason action, New England had an exceptional outing, thrashing them 48-18. However, the starters had very little to do with that in their reduced playing time.
TreVeyon Henderson had about as good a start as one could expect with a 100-yard bomb for a return touchdown in his first play of official NFL action. Maye, on his end, completed three of his five passes for 12 yards, while rushing twice for 16.
This week, too, Vrabel plans on giving most of his starters some playing time, barring some of the veterans on the roster. For fans, it will be a chance to get accustomed to the new core in New England.
At the same time, Vrabel can try to work out any potential kinks in the game plan and establish some synergy between his players. The three most impactful players fans will be keeping an eye on are Henderson, Maye, and this year’s first-round selection, Will Campbell.
However, the offensive line is a key focus for the team as a whole. After a porous performance throughout 2024, the franchise made many moves to improve Maye’s protection.
Through the first week of preseason, it looked like those moves paid off. However, against the Vikings in joint practices, the story has reverted to the mean. As a result, action on the gridiron in the preseason will be a good chance for Vrabel to find some things that work for the unit.
As a whole, for an extremely young team like the Patriots, any additional experience has to count as a net positive, especially for a quarterback just about to enter his sophomore season. As a result, getting some action against Minnesota might be the smartest choice for their team.
