The battle for the job as starting quarterback for the New England Patriots is not over yet. In fact, it has just become much more exciting.
Jacoby Brissett seemed to have the best chance at the No. 1 QB position after outperforming rookie Drake Maye for most of training camp, but after Thursday night’s loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, the situation is a little different.
Not only did Brissett throw a poor interception in the red zone and not impress overall, Maye also played very well and led the offense, scoring 10 of its 13 points during its four drives.
Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo told reporters in a video press conference Friday morning that the competition for the quarterbacks is still ongoing.
“We still have three days of training camp left and it’s our job as coaches to judge that,” Mayo said. “The competition isn’t over yet. They’re still going to go out there and have to show not only themselves and their coaches but their teammates what they can do. So it’s definitely still a competition.”
Maye completed six of 11 passes for 47 yards on Thursday. He also ran five times for 15 yards, including a 4-yard touchdown in the second quarter.
What did Mayo like about Maye’s performance against the Eagles?
“Some of the things that have happened the last few weeks have been just pressure buildup. I think he’s done a better job overall of using his legs and really extending plays,” Mayo said.
“He made some good throws. We didn’t catch the ball, but he definitely took a step forward. When the sack happened, the defensive end was forced inside, just that miscommunication. It’s definitely unfortunate to see him take a hit like that, but I would say overall I thought he moved a lot better.”
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The Patriots have one more preseason game and about three more weeks of practice before traveling to Cincinnati on Sept. 8 to play the Bengals in Week 1 of the regular season.
What does Mayo need to see from Maye to help the rookie get closer to securing a spot in the starting lineup?
“I think first and foremost it’s about the whole operation,” Mayo said. “I think it’s got to be faster. I think he’s got to get guys in the huddle quicker, get them out of the huddle quicker, get to the line and just get to the point. I think that’s definitely one thing he needs to work on and I think he’s doing that. Like I said, we’ve got three days of camp left and that’s going to be my focus for him.”
