Brissett or Maye? Jerod Mayo's tone has shifted a bit in Patriots quarterback debate
FOXBORO -- Following another anemic performance from the Patriots offense in a 15-10 loss to the Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the cries for a chance at quarterback keep getting louder in New England. But head coach Jerod Mayo wouldn't say if the team will move to rookie Drake Maye over veteran Jacoby Brissett on Monday morning.
However, it sounds like he's a little more open to making a change than he has been the last several weeks.
"Look, we haven't had our full staff meeting today. That's a conversation, not only at that spot but all the spots, of how to get better as a football team," Mayo told WEEI's The Greg Hill Show. "We're not playing well. It's not a secret. Being the head coach of this team, I have to accept all the responsibility for that."
Mayo has come out the day after games and stated in no uncertain terms that Brissett is the team's starting quarterback. While he didn't come out and say that outright on Monday, he said that his overall message remains the same.
"My messaging is that every single day we're all being evaluated and it's no different now," Mayo told reporters in a video conference following his radio appearance. "When I meet with the coaches today, we're a solution-driven business and we have to look at every single unit and figure out how we use this roster to go out and win games."
Still, Mayo had a different tone when discussing New England's quarterback situation on Monday. Could a change be on the horizon?
Brissett has been under heavy pressure behind a makeshift New England offensive line, but he's also not making plays when the Patriots need him to get the ball downfield. Brissett was 18-of-34 for 160 yards on Sunday, and is averaging just 139.2 passing yards over the first five weeks.
Mayo praised Brissett's toughness for the beating that he's taking this season (he's been sacked 17 times and taken 49 QB hits) but added that the team needs to be able to throw the ball downfield. The head coach was much more critical of Brissett's performance when chatting with reporters.
"It just wasn't good enough," Mayo said of Brissett's play in Sunday's loss. "I thought we played well enough defensively and special teams to win a football game. As a quarterback, he understands this – he touches the ball every play – and he would echo the sentiment that it wasn't good enough."
Brissett has thrown just two touchdowns on the season, and the New England offense ranks 31st in the NFL at just 12.4 points per game. The Patriots are averaging just 119.4 passing yards per game, which ranks last in the NFL.
Mayo fought back at the narrative that the decision to play Brissett over Maye isn't his, with someone like executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, or even owner Robert Kraft making the call to keep the rookie on the bench.
"It's my decision only," Mayo on WEEI.
Patriots fans have watched rookie quarterbacks Caleb Williams and Bo Nix turn things around after rough starts, and they've seen Jayden Daniels lead the NFL in completion percentage and guide the Washington Commanders to a 4-1 record. It's left many to wonder why the Patriots aren't giving their rookie quarterback a chance.
When asked if how other rookie quarterbacks are playing will play into the team's own decision at the position, Mayo said that every situation in the NFL is different.
"I watch those guys on film. I would say each situation is unique and so is our situation," he said. "Those guys, it was a little bumpy at first – Jayden Daniels aside. It's natural for fans an the media to say we have a QB waiting in the wings. But our mentality is how do we develop him, how do we get the guys around him to develop, and move forward from there."
Mayo was a bit all over the place on Monday, though it sounds like Maye will continue his development plan while Brissett will be back at quarterback when the 1-4 Patriots host the Houston Texans next Sunday. But the head coach's hesitancy to completely back the veteran on Monday has left the door slightly ajar for Maye to get his first career start in Week 6.