The New England Patriots received a larger selection of quarterback Drake Maye in their 14-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles at Gillette Stadium on Thursday night, which left a lasting impression on new head coach Jerod Mayo.
Maye showed efficient lightning throughout the night, from almost Connection with wideout Javon Baker on a deep from his third-quarter throw to a second-quarter touchdown that gave the Patriots a 10-3 lead. The 21-year-old rookie completed 6 of 11 attempts for 47 total yards, sharing playing time with each of New England’s four quarterbacks – Jacoby Brissett, Joe Milton III and Bailey Zappe.
“He was very composed,” Mayo told reporters, according to a video provided by the team. “I thought it was a good drive. I thought he went out and did a lot of good things. Hopefully he can build on that and see how this week goes. … I’m excited to see how he builds on today, but he did a lot of good things.”
Questions began – and still loom – around the current state of the organization’s quarterback dilemma. Maye inherited that when New England drafted the North Carolina product with the third pick in April’s NFL Draft. When the Patriots opened their preseason against the Carolina Panthers, Maye recorded just three pass attempts in just one series. Mayo attributed that lack of playing time on the field to New England’s “work in progress” offensive line. Now, as the team inches closer to the start of its regular season, Maye’s recent performance is fueling the increasingly heated debate about who should be the starter of week 1.
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“I think every time you go out there you kind of get more confident,” Maye told reporters after the game, according to a video provided by the team. “First of all, it’s always the nerves when you go out there, the first time you run out there. But other than that, I think more reps will only help me and at the end of the day I’m just happy to get some reps in and make the most of my opportunities.”
