The quarterback competition for the New England Patriots has taken a turn, with presumed starter Jacoby Brissett falling behind rapidly emerging rookie Drake Maye.
Brissett “has tailed off in the last week since the preseason began,” according to Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar. The decline in Brissett’s play has coincided with Maye beginning to show why the Pats made him the third-overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Maye impressed during Week 2’s preseason game, a 14-13 defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday, August 15. The performance offered insight into what New England’s offense would look like with Maye as the starter.
Until that time came, the plan was for Brissett to be a veteran placeholder at QB1. But further struggles by Brissett could scupper the plan.
Especially if any continued struggles are matched by more improvement from Maye.
Jacoby Brissett’s Numbers Trending in the Wrong Direction
Brissett has not looked like a starter in his limited role in the Patriots’ two exhibition games.
“Brissett has completed just 30% of his passes (3-of-10) in two preseason games,” Lazar wrote. “He has produced -1.48 expected points added per drop-back with a -17.9 completion rate over expectation and an ill-advised interception in the end zone that [head coach Jerod] Mayo called a ‘terrible play.'”
Lazar’s reference to an interception against the Eagles, along with Mayo’s subsequent negative reaction, sums up Brissett’s struggles. Former Patriots safety Devin McCourty noted in a video clip tweeted by The QB List’s Ben Brown how Brissett paid the price for trying to force the ball into tight coverage.
Devin McCourty breaks down Jacoby Brissett’s interception
Forcing the ball might be a reflection of the pressure Brissett is feeling in the fight for his job. The 31-year-old’s case isn’t being helped by the fact he’s “only produced two successful plays in his 10 preseason drop-backs with the Patriots starters,” Lazar wrote. “After a solid start to padded practices, camp sessions have unfortunately not looked much better for Brissett. He struggled with his accuracy in Tuesday’s joint practice, missing an open touchdown to TE Austin Hooper and a deep in-breaker to Tyquan Thornton.”
These ongoing problems have been in sharp contrast to the recent strides made by Maye.
Drake Maye Starting to Deliver on the Hype
The Patriots have been prepared to wait for Maye to eventually take the reins, but the process could be accelerated if he continues to deliver on the hype. Maye offered several exciting glimpses of his upside as a playmaker against the Eagles.
He made the most of extended playing time after questionable usage against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1. What Maye did with his reps against Philly revealed how the Pats’ offense will evolve with a more dynamic and versatile athlete at football’s most important position.
A more expansive blueprint was evident when “Maye was in the shotgun for 10 of his 11 drop-backs, six in an empty formation, with his lone under-center pass being a bootleg play. Van Pelt called routes breaking into the middle of the field or deep shots to isolated outside receivers. Maye ran run-pass options and scored a four-yard touchdown on a zone-read keeper.”
Maye’s best plays were highlighted by NFL Network’s Brian Baldinger.
.@Patriots @DrakeMaye2 with some nice throws and good decisions in his 2 nd preseason action. #BaldysBreakdowns
It’s been an age since a Patriots passing game stretched the field outside the numbers. Or featured moving pockets.
Perhaps the most significant wrinkle were the RPOs Lazar mentioned. An option-based game helped rookie Mac Jones become a Pro Bowler in 2021.
That brief high point was all she wrote for Jones’ time in a Patriots uniform. Yet, it showed how a more creative offense can play to the strengths of an unorthodox signal-caller.
Maye is an off-script quarterback whose raw physical tools can manufacture the big plays the Patriots have been missing for too long. Letting Maye do those things sooner rather than later is a boom-or-bust strategy, but sticking with a game manager like Brissett is in the realm of being too careful.
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Patriots QB ‘Has Tailed Off’ Amid Drake Maye’s Rise