Drake Maye will start against Bills, Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt says
FOXBORO – The No. 1 pick is within reach for the New England Patriots, which leaves the team with a bit of a dilemma entering Week 18 against a Buffalo Bills team that will be resting many of its starters. So will the Patriots play standout rookie quarterback Drake Maye?
If the Patriots lose, they will have the top pick in the draft. With a win, they could slide several picks.
Who will start for Patriots?
MVP candidate Josh Allen will be starting for the Bills, though he isn't expected to stay in the game for long. Buffalo has nothing to play for as the AFC East champions are locked in as the No. 2 season in the playoffs.
Earlier this week, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo did not rule out sitting Maye for the finale in an effort to keep him healthy heading into the offseason.
On Wednesday, Mayo said if Maye is healthy, he will be starting. Later that day, Maye himself said he was looking forward to playing. When the injury report came out, he was listed as a limited participant with a hand injury.
Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt met with reporters on Thursday.
"Drake looked good yesterday, he's ready to go. So he'll be starting the game for sure," Van Pelt said before being asked if Maye will play the full game. "We're playing the game to win the game, for sure. We'll see how it goes from that point. Yes that's the intent."
Will Joe Milton play?
Fellow rookie Joe Milton has been inactive all season, serving as the emergency third-string quarterback for games. Mayo hinted this week that Milton could potentially be active against the Bills.
Van Pelt said that Milton, who has only taken scout team reps all year, took some regular practice reps on Wednesday.
"I think he's done a great job all year," Van Pelt said of Milton. "The stuff he does on the scout team has been impressive. His ability to throw the ball, he's an elite passer in that regard. We'll see. We have all three guys ready to go. We'll make that decision later in the week. But if he does get in there, I'm excited to see what he can do."
