Why Mike Reiss would never play Drake Maye behind current Patriots offensive line
FOXBORO -- Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is sticking with Jacoby Brissett at quarterback. While he's said that he believes Brissett gives the team its best chance to win, it's much more likely that the Patriots are trying to protect rookie quarterback Drake Maye.
The Patriots gave Maye some playing time in Week 3 against the Jets, as the rookie got 16 snaps at the end of New England's embarrassing Thursday night loss in New Jersey. Like Brissett before him, Maye was under constant pressure and had little time to let a play develop offensively.
It was a valuable lesson for Maye, as he got a quick look at how fast things move in the NFL. While there is a decent amount of New Englanders who would love to see Maye take over on offense, there are many who don't want to see the rookie play meaningful snaps until the team gets its offensive line in order.
Why the Patriots shouldn't considering starting Drake Maye right now
ESPN Boston's Mike Reiss is firmly entrenched in the camp that wants Maye to watch safely from the sideline. Reiss is shocked that Brissett keeps getting up after taking some big hits -- he's been sacked eight times in the last two games alone -- and doesn't want to see the 22-year-old Maye play behind such a lackluster line.
"I would never play Drake Maye behind this line right now. I think it would be dangerous and potentially set him back," Reiss explained on Sunday night's Sports Final on WBZ-TV. "We saw what happened with Bryce Young and the Panthers. [The Patriots] might consider getting another quarterback in here just in case [Brissett gets hurt.]"
Rookie quarterbacks already have a lot on their plate, but having to worry about untouched rushers every play can really stunt their growth on the field. Young is a good example of how playing behind a bad football team can ruin -- or greatly stunt -- a quarterback.
After the Panthers traded up to draft Young first overall in the 2023 NFL Draft, he started 16 of the 17 games during his rookie season, missing only Week 3 with an ankle injury. But Carolina announced last week that Young had been benched in favor of veteran Andy Dalton.
Young didn't have much going for him as a rookie, as he was sacked 62 times in 2023. Now that he's been benched, there are serious questions about the 23-year-old's future in Carolina.
The Jets racked up 15 QB hits against New England on Thursday night, and a lot of their rushers got to the quarterback untouched. The Patriots may get starting left guard Sidy Sow back this week, but that won't fix all of their issues along the line. And with three weeks of tape out on the malfunctioning line, teams will be looking to take full advantage every Sunday.
"The thing with the NFL is if a team feels like you have a weak spot, they keep hammering it and exposing and going after it until you can prove you can stop it," Christian Fauria said Sunday night on Sports Final. "San Francisco will, mark my word, send the same blitzes that the Jets did. They're going to test them."
Is sticking with Jacoby Brissett the right move for the Patriots?
Brissett is a smart quarterback that doesn't make many mistakes, but he also isn't one to take many risks. He sticks with the safe plays rather than trying to air it out, which his arm isn't really capable of doing anyways.
Mayo reiterated Monday that he's sticking with Brissett and that it's up to the team to support him and give him a chance to make plays. And in Reiss' eyes, it's not just the offensive line that is failing the Patriots' offense.
"He did nothing to lose his job," Reiss said of Brissett. "It's not just the offensive line. The backs have to protect better, the tight ends have to block better. The whole operation right now is not set up to help a rookie succeed."
Watch Steve Burton, Mike Reiss, and Christian Fauria try to explain the struggles of the New England offense in the video above, and tune in to Sports Final every Sunday night at 11:35 p.m. on WBZ-TV!
