To say that the New England Patriots are creating an unwanted trend would be a dramatic understatement.
After falling to the San Francisco 49ers 30-13 on Sunday, the team has now started 1-3 for the fourth consecutive season. For perspective, the last time they had ever started 1-3 before that was in 2001, Tom Brady’s first season as the team’s starting quarterback.
On the bright side, that team went on to win the Super Bowl and set up a dynasty, but it is highly unlikely to expect the same from this year’s bunch. New England has now been outscored by a whopping margin of 54-16 in their past two games. Furthermore, they have been outgained by nearly 500 yards (476, to be exact), are scoring the second-fewest points per game, and are averaging the fewest yards per game in the NFL.
To be fair, this team was never expected to be a Super Bowl contender this season. Not after finishing 4-13 last season, mutually parting ways with Bill Belichick, and drafting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye with the third overall pick in last year’s draft. At a time when their AFC East foes are gearing to win in the present, the Patriots had to take a step back, and finally undergo the rebuild they were able to avoid for two decades.
As their franchise quarterback, Maye is certainly the key to this rebuild. The organization has every incentive to do what they think is best for his development, and, for now, that has meant starting veteran Jacoby Brissett over him. That being said, the calls for Maye to take over will only get louder moving forward. Only Bo Nix and Deshaun Watson are averaging fewer passing yards per attempt than Brissett (5.3), and it doesn’t help that he’s also been sacked 15 times already. Meanwhile, the team’s passing offense has been quite limited with very little production to be had down the field.
Signed to a one-year contract this offseason, Brissett’s role has always been to be the bridge to Maye until the rookie quarterback was deemed ready to play. Thus, when a hypothetical quarterback switch would happen has less to do with current performance and much more to do with Maye’s development.
The Draft Network detailed Maye to great length last offseason, labeling him as “an outstanding prospect who has more room to grow and develop into a franchise NFL quarterback.” However, his report also noted some of Maye’s troubling tendencies, such as taking too many sacks, playing “hero ball,” and inconsistent ball placement. In other words, there should be expected to be growing pains as he transitions to the NFL, which is usual for young quarterbacks.
Head coach Jerod Mayo has already insisted there will be no quarterback change for the team’s upcoming game against the Dolphins, citing that this was in the best interest of the organization both for now and the future. To his credit, it’s easy to see why. If pocket presence is a concern, putting Maye behind an offensive line that has been charged with allowing 15 sacks already is a scary proposition, and the team doesn’t have a wide receiver with 100 yards receiving through four games. If putting Maye in a position to succeed is the focus, the current situation doesn’t provide that opportunity.
Nevertheless, it’s rare for rookie quarterbacks, particularly those drafted third overall on an underperforming team, to not play at all in their first season. Making the switch after a bye week is common, but New England doesn’t have one until after Week 14. The team’s upcoming schedule until that bye week is as follows:
Week 5: vs Dolphins
Week 6: vs Texans
Week 7: at Jaguars (London)
Week 8: vs Jets
Week 9: at Titans
Week 10: at Bears
Week 11: vs Rams
Week 12: at Dolphins
Week 13: vs Colts
It’d be seemingly unfair to have Maye’s first start come against a Houston Texans defense that has shined so far this season, nor would it be likely for him to make his first start either overseas or right back after coming home from London. That makes Week 9’s road matchup in Tennessee the first prime opportunity, with the chances of him starting even more likely by Week 11; the Rams are currently allowing the second-most yards per play and per game in the NFL.
Truth be told, there is no magic formula when it comes to deciding when to play a rookie quarterback. Rather, it is all about doing what you feel is best for the player and the organization in the long run, which is what the Patriots are currently doing. Maye is likely to receive starts in the second half of the season, but, until then, it’s advisable to not be too quick to insist on him starting. After all, if his career goes as planned, the next month or so won’t be as challenging to bear through.
