A new era of New England Patriots football was ushered in at Gillette Stadium Wednesday.
Head coach Jerod Mayo said that rookie QB Drake Maye will make his first NFL start this upcoming Sunday against the Houston Texans while veteran journeyman Jacoby Brissett heads to the bench.
“Drake gives us the best chance to win - now and going forward,” Mayo said. ”He’s been getting better every single week. You know, at the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate. And that is continuing through the early part of the season. And so, you know, it’s solely my decision to make this choice. I had a conversation one-on-one with Jacoby. I had a conversation with Drake. We’re all on board.”
Brissett, 31, had started the first 5 games of the Patriots’ 2024 campaign to diminishing offensive returns and a 1-4 record.
Brissett was 18 of 34 for 160 yards in the Patriots’ loss to the Miami Dolphins this past Sunday, their 4th straight loss. Brissett has yet to throw for more than 150 yards in a game behind a battered offensive line that ranks near the bottom of league in several categories.
Mayo said that Brissett took the news of the QB change well.
“For a guy like that to be voted as a captain in this situation and continue to be very supportive of Drake Maye, I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that ego-less mentality going forward,” Mayo detailed.
Maye came in for mop-up duty in the Week 3 loss to the New York Jets and completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards. At 6′4″, 223 pounds, with a 6′4″ wingspan, Maye, 21, has a size and frame that catapulted him to the top 3 of the 2024 draft class. What Brissett has in experience, Maye makes up for in mobility and athleticism. But Mayo said his young QB doesn’t lack football acumen.
“Drake’s a smart guy, and we saw that throughout the draft process as far as, you know, understanding the offense and the language and just his overall football IQ. I think that continues to improve. And I was actually pleasantly surprised. You know, even when he got here, it was never a question, was he smart? But I was pleasantly surprised, just, you know, his work ethic out of this world and, you know, studying the playbook and trying to get those reps. And he continues to get better each and every day,” Mayo described.
The Patriots are averaging 119.4 net passing yards per game — the worst start for New England since 1982. Only eight other teams in the last two decades failed to average 120 yards per game passing over the first five games.
With captain David Andrews sidelined for the season with a shoulder injury and a rotating cast along the line, the Patriots’ 48.3 percent pressure rate for the season is the worst in the NFL. On Sunday, they’ll line up across from a Texans pass-rushing unit that collects QB pressures at a league-best 42 percent rate.
“There’s never a perfect time to make a change. Every defense that we play, whether it’s the defensive ends or the defensive tackles, they all have the ability to rush and get after the quarterback. So I don’t think there’s ever a perfect time,” said Mayo.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates as more information becomes available.
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