Drake Maye Shows Signs Of Life And That's What Patriots Want This Entire NFL Season
The most entertaining moment of Thursday night's preseason game between the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles? It came when kicker Joey Slye lined up for a 45-yard field goal attempt.
Some random fan could be heard imploring Slye to, "kick it in the stands, jackass!"
When Maye's Ready He'll Start
Slye connected on his kick. And some folks in the sparse crowd probably got a bit of a chuckle.
Now, about the important business:
Almost everyone actually tuned in to gauge the Patriots' quarterback competition between Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye. And New England fans doubtless came away encouraged that they've seen the future …
…which is definitely going to be about Maye.
But here's the intrigue: That future could come sooner rather than later – regardless of New England's offensive line issues or search for playmakers on the outside.
"For me, we always talk about competition and that's at all spots," coach Jerod Mayo said after the game. "So, if Drake beats out Jacoby, we don't take [offensive line] into consideration.
"When he's ready to go, then he'll play. He'll start."
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 15: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots passes against pressure from Nakobe Dean #17 of the Philadelphia Eagles in the first half of a preseason game at Gillette Stadium on August 15, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Patriots 2024 Season About Maye
Mayo on Friday morning said the quarterback competition is just that – a competition, not yet decided. He added there is a possibility Maye could win it and be the starting quarterback for the regular-season opener.
"It's definitely still a competition," Mayo said.
And that announces what the Patriots 2024 season is all about. It's not about competing for a championship, because that's not happening. It's about developing Drake Maye.
That's it. That's all.
That's why this preseason game that doesn't count actually mattered. Because it proved Maye is improving, advancing.
This was a good night for Maye. And while Maye earned that praise, it should be weighed against the uneven performances of Brissett and even fellow rookie Joe Milton III, the hero of the team's first preseason game.
Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Jacoby Brissett (14) throws an interception during the first half against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
Rough Night For Jacoby Brissett
To summerize:
Brissett, about to begin his ninth season, was unimpressive. He completed 3 of 7 passes for 17 yards. And he threw an interception in the end zone.
"A lot of room for growth, obviously," is how Brissett described his outing. "You don't want those errors, the picks for instance, to happen. But it gives you a chance to look at it and … it opens the room for communication."
Maye, meanwhile, was the team's most productive quarterback. No, he wasn't great playing the second and third quarters, but he got his club on the scoreboard twice in four possessions.
And Maye showed glimpses of why the Patriots made him the draft's No. 3 overall pick. He scored on a 4-yard run that showed off his mobility and athleticism.
Then his most impressive moment came when he launched a bomb of 55 yards or so that a diving Javon Baker should have caught.
"I had some good things, had some bad plays," Maye said. "I had a dropped snap which is inexcusable for me … Definitely a lot of things to learn from."
Aug 15, 2024; Foxborough, MA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles defensive tackle Thomas Booker IV (59) sacks New England Patriots quarterback Joe Milton III (19) during the second half at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports
What Was Milton Thinking?
Milton? He was electric last week. But much as he was during his days at the University of Tennessee, Milton's vast potential didn't match his production with any game-to-game consistency.
Oh, Milton had a couple of nice runs in which he plowed smaller, perhaps overmatched defensive backs into next week.
But the moment that left coaches cringing was when Milton called a play in which the entire offense went left, but he apparently forgot his assignment and rolled right.
Like, by himself.
Oof.
"That was truly my fault," Milton admitted. "Miscommunication on my end."
So where does this all leave the Patriots?
FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - AUGUST 15: Drake Maye #10 of the New England Patriots looks to pass during the first half of a preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium on August 15, 2024 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images)
Pressure To Start Maye
Well, if they tune into sports talk radio in Boston Friday morning, the message is going to be loud and clear. It is going to be making an impassioned plea to pahk Brissett as the backup and roll out Maye as the starter as soon as possible.
And the logic to this won't necessarily be wrong.
That logic is rooted in the fact the Patriots are not going to playoffs this season. They're probably not going to be a winning team, and especially not behind Brissett, who is a solid but not stellar bridge quarterback.
So, with little chance of being relevant, why not simply let Maye gain experience and start a career clock that is going to determine whether the franchise regains anything close to its recent past glory?
The counterpoint to that will be that Mayo simply intends to let the better player play.
The key to that determination is whether Brissett struggles even as Maye improves, closing the gap between vet and rookie. But make no mistake that Mayo is invested in Maye doing that as quickly as possible.
"He had great composure," Mayo said of his future starter. "He did a lot of good things, so hopefully, he can build on that, and we'll see how the week goes."