The Drake Maye Report: Mayo leaves open the possibility for a rookie to take over as quarterback. Originally published on NBC Sports Boston
FOXBORO – Jerod Mayo wants people to know that there is still a competition for the quarterback title going on in New England.
“We don’t know right now,” Mayo said Monday when asked who his starter will be. “We have one more preseason game and then a week after that. When I know, I’ll let you know.”
But the way the quarterback position has been handled, it seems as though Brissett still has a good handle on the starting spot.
Drake Maye got some half-speed reps with David Andrews under center on Saturday – his first snaps with the undisputed starter in the middle of the Patriots’ offensive line – but he hasn’t played in a play with the first team since.
This would be as strong an on-field indication as any that the Patriots are considering having Maye start in Week 1, but so far that hasn’t happened.
Still, Maye has seen an improved line in front of him at times over the past two practices. While the first line – Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle, Mike Onwenu at right guard, Andrews, Sidy Sow at left guard and Vederian Lowe at left tackle – continues to do early work with Brissett, they have been broken up at times to give Maye a few starters in his huddle.
On Monday, for example, Maye worked behind a line that included Okorafor at right tackle and Sow at left guard during a hurry-up period. (During Brissett’s hurry-up period, he had Caedan Wallace at right tackle and Layden Robinson at left guard.)
Although his rushing work resulted in a sack from blitzing safety Dell Pettus, having a few veterans blocking him would be an improvement over what Maye has experienced throughout most of camp.
Maye’s line in two of Monday’s three 11-on-11 practices consisted of Wallace at right tackle, Michael Jordan at right guard, Liam Fornadel at center, Robinson at left guard and Kellen Diesch at left tackle. Those are the backups, which means Maye apparently is, too.
Over the last week or so, however, Maye has looked like the more decisive and accurate passer. Mayo said Monday that Maye is “absolutely getting better.” He has seen a more relaxed quarterback, and that is showing in how Maye handles his duties at the position.
“Making his progress,” Mayo said when we asked how Maye’s confidence shows on the field, “building confidence in the guys up front, making his progress and making the right shot.”
No matter what linemen were in front of him, Maye didn’t get many opportunities to throw on Monday. Nevertheless, here is the latest edition of the Drake Maye Report from Day 17 of Patriots training camp.
The Rep report
In competitive situations, Brissett completed nine competitive reps in 11-on-11 practice and three in a 7-on-7 period. Maye, on the other hand, completed ten competitive reps in 11-on-11 practice and three in a 7-on-7 period.
(Maye got an extra rep in his two-minute warm-up period when the second offense tried to get the ball into field goal range. Thanks to a deep throw to Tyquan Thornton, Brissett’s group needed just three plays in that warm-up period to get within Joey Slye’s range.)
Utilizing the numbers
There aren’t many big numbers to calculate here…
Brissett went 3-of-3 in his 11-on-11 periods, including the bomb toss on Thornton, the play of the day. He also took a sack from Davon Godchaux in 11-on-11 games. Brissett went 2-of-3 in 7-on-7 games, giving him a total of 5-of-6 in competitive periods.
Maye completed 3 of 6 passes with two sacks in his 11-on-11 periods. The sacks came quickly, thanks to Mike Purcell and Dell Pettus. Maye had an incomplete pass on a Hail Mary attempt at the end of the two-minute period. He completed 3 of 3 in 7-on-7 games, giving him a total of 6 of 9 in competitive periods.
Match of the day
Maye’s best throw of the day may also have been one of his shortest. With 6-foot-3, 300-pound defensive lineman Trysten Hill in his face, Maye rolled to his right and found Antonio Gibson for a big gain.
It was a bit reminiscent of the short jump pass Maye made in their preseason game against the Eagles last week. In both cases, the distance wasn’t remarkable, but his ability to throw accurately while moving was.
Why he is ready
In this section of the Drake Maye Report, we will highlight the aspects of the rookie’s performance that suggest he will rise to the top of New England’s quarterback hierarchy sooner rather than later.
Given the nature of Monday’s practice — when there weren’t many contest replays to analyze — his head coach’s comments were perhaps the best indication that Maye is nearing readiness. When asked if he’s noticed a difference in Maye since the Eagles’ preseason game, Mayo acknowledged that he’s seen improvement.
“I think it’s because of his hard work, his dedication to his craft,” Mayo said. “This guy comes early and leaves late. Every day he’s one of those guys and he’s done a great job. I would also say the coaches have done a good job of meeting with him one-on-one and making sure he’s comfortable playing his team.”
Why patience is a virtue
In this section of the Drake Maye Report, we will highlight the aspects of the rookie’s performance that suggest he is not quite ready to be at the top of the quarterback rankings.
Maye had two incomplete passes on Monday, which appeared to be the result of miscommunication between him and his receivers. Jalen Reagor continued running up the field as Maye attempted a back-shoulder throw near the sideline at one point, and a pass seemingly intended for La’Michael Pettway didn’t even land near the tight end.
While that only happened twice, getting to know his teammates and seeing things the way they see them could be a focus for Maye after Day 17. (Of course, there’s a chance he saw things correctly in those moments and his targets didn’t.)
