Drake Maye ready for his opportunity after being named Patriots starting quarterback
FOXBORO -- Drake Maye is officially the starting quarterback of the New England Patriots. Jerod Mayo confirmed the switch to the rookie from veteran Jacoby Brissett on Wednesday morning, as the Patriots get set to host the Houston Texans this weekend at Gillette Stadium.
It ushers in a new era of New England football, with the third-overall pick in last year's draft now tasked with turning around a 1-4 football team. He'll face a 4-1 Texans team that will bring an extremely talented defense to Foxboro this weekend.
But that didn't put a damper on the rookie's excitement Wednesday morning.
"I think it's a great opportunity and something you dream of, getting your first start in the NFL," Maye said Wednesday during his first trip to the podium as New England's starter. "I'm excited to get out there with the guys and take advantage of having a full week to get prepared and try to put my best foot forward to help this team win."
There's still a lot for Maye to learn at this level. He quickly determined that sitting at the podium wasn't for him, and stood up as he addressed reporters inside Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. Just about everything is new for the 22-year-old.
Maye already has some NFL action under his belt after making a brief appearance in New England's Week 3 loss to the Jets in New Jersey. He'll still feel some nerves when he takes the field for the first time as a starter, but doesn't expect those to last very long.
"I'll probably be a little nervous at the beginning but once we settle down we have a chance to move the football and just have fun out there. That's what this game is all about. Don't make it too big or the spotlight too bright," said Maye. "Just go out and try to make some plays."
Maye said it felt "pretty good" going through his first walkthrough as the starter on Wednesday. He didn't want to give too much away about New England's game plan against the Texans, but said the playbook will mostly stay the same.
"The biggest thing is just me playing on time, playing in rhythm and trusting the guys around me. The game plan isn't going to change. We have a different quarterback going out there but what we do on offense is what we do on offense," he said. "Not trying to give away too many hints. We have a game to play on Sunday.
"I'm just excited, and excited for these guys. It's an opportunity against a good football team to go out and prove people wrong," he added.
Maye said that his parents will be in attendance on Sunday and he expects a few of his brothers to be at Gillette Stadium as well. He's also pretty psyched that he'll be wearing New England's red "Pat Patriot" throwbacks when he makes his first start for the franchise.
"It's pretty sweet in the red throwbacks, I think that'll be pretty cool to get out there in my first start, especially in front of these fans," he said. "I think Patriots fans are the best in the league and I cant wait to play in Gillette in front of them."
Why did the Patriots make the switch to Drake Maye?
"I think Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward," Mayo told reporters on Wednesday. "He's been getting better every single week."
The Patriots were 1-4 with Brissett at quarterback and the team's offense mustered just 12.4 points per game -- ranking 31st in the NFL. Both Maye and Mayo lauded Brissett as a great leader and mentor on Wednesday, and Mayo even called the nine-year veteran a "warrior" for getting up after all the hard hits he took over the first five weeks. Brissett will continue to be a team captain as he backs up Maye on the sideline.
Heading out of training camp, Mayo said that Brissett gave the team its best chance to win every week. That faded over the last five weeks, while Maye continued to impress in practice.
Now it's time to see what the rookie can do for a Patriots team in desperate need of a jolt on offense. Mayo said it was his decision to make the move to Maye, and added that everyone -- from offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to director of player personnel Eliot Wolf to team ownership -- was on board with the switch
Mayo said Wednesday that the team didn't expedite their initial plan for Maye to get him on the field sooner.
"Our offense hasn't been performing we all hoped it would," said Mayo. "I wouldn't say the plan was expedited. The end of training camp [Maye] was trending up and that never slowed down."
Why start Maye this weekend against a tough Houston Texans team?
Last week against a bad Dolphins team could have been an ideal time to start Maye. Even next week's game in London against the struggling Jaguars would have been an easier landing for the rookie. But the Patriots are starting Maye against a very talented Houston defense that can get after the quarterback and keep them from doing much through the air.
"There is never a perfect time to make a change," said Mayo. "Every defense we play, whether it's the defensive ends or defensive tackles, they can all rush and get after the quarterback. This defense, we're familiar with it. We've seen it and he's preparing for this defense as the starter. I just felt this was the right time to do it."
Mayo said that Maye's big arm and his athleticism is what he likes most from the rookie. While Maye brings an ability to improvise and make plays when it doesn't seem like plays are there to be made, he admitted that it's important he doesn't try to do too much in his first start.
"Early on, just try to take what they give me. Find completions," he said. "That's the biggest thing for a young quarterback going in there. From there, don't hunt off-platform or off-schedule throws. Just feel it out and play football."
Tune in to Patriots-Texans on WBZ-TV -- your television home of the New England Patriots! Pregame coverage begins at 11:30 a.m. with Patriots GameDay (which you can also stream on CBSBoston.com), kickoff is set for 1 p.m., and after the game stick around for full reaction and analysis on Patriots 5th Quarter!
