The Patriots’ second of three preseason games is somehow already here, as the Eagles are in town for a Super Bowl LVII rematch without the same players, assignments or TV viewers. And it doesn’t help that the weather forecast looks terrible. Historically, the second preseason game is usually when the core players get more playing time, and now that teams are down to three games, that will only increase.
And while there are certainly some weirdos among us who want to know how many reps CB2 will get, the allure of the increased snap count really only applies to one rookie quarterback in particular. Drake Maye will (presumably) start for the second Patriots game of his career, and after throwing just three passes in the team’s season opener against Carolina, many slightly nervous fans – you will pay for your sins, Colin Cowherd – are curious to see if Maye will play more on Thursday night.
Game day. 7:00 p.m. ET.
“He’s going to get more reps, believe me.” – Head coach Jerod Mayo on Tuesday about the plan for rookie QB Drake Maye. pic.twitter.com/CWbmvTHXpg
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) 15 August 2024
I believe you, Jerod! Honestly, it would be difficult for Maye to be active and get fewer reps than he did against the Panthers, but Patriots fans will take what they can get. If you trust stats from joint practice, Maye looked good all week – reportedly he had his strongest performances of camp this week and calmed down some the concerns people had about his NFL career after (looks like) three preseason passes.
But all’s well that ends well, and it looks like Maye is good for at least a quarter or two tonight. After that, it very well could be the last time we see Bailey Zappe in a Patriots uniform, so enjoy it while you can. We’ll always have those few wonderful drives against the Bears.
