FOXBORO — The Patriots spent most of the last seven days self-scouting.
Identifying weaknesses, plotting ways to amplify their strengths and ultimately light a path forward after last week’s 24-3 step back.
Let’s call it professional “me time.”
Jerod Mayo may want a couple more minutes to himself, specifically with his media tape. Because a scouting report of his recent comments about the Patriots’ quarterback situation increasingly suggests he might want to hand the keys to Drake Maye.
Start with yesterday’s press conference.
Mayo said this in response to a follow-up question about the rookie’s practice performance and why the Patriots are disinclined to sign a veteran backup: “(Maye)’s looked good in practice, but once again, it’s just practice. You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field. But at this current time – I don’t want to go back to that answer – but at this current time, we’re just not looking to add any pieces at that spot.”
“You want to get a guy like that, obviously, on the football field.”
Now, consider that comment against the backdrop of the last six weeks.
Near the end of training camp, Mayo insisted Maye could win the quarterback competition, despite the fact Jacoby Brissett started all three preseason games and took more than 98% of the first-team reps in practice. After the preseason finale, Mayo volunteered that Maye had out-played the veteran.
“This is a true competition, and I would say at this current point, Drake has out-played Jacoby,” Mayo said before adding he would weigh other factors before naming a starter.
Days later, as he named Brissett the starter, Mayo said: “We have decided, or I have decided, that Jacoby Brissett will be our starting quarterback this season.”
Well, was it we or me?
The following week, Mayo declared the most important trait in a quarterback is his ability to extend plays; an obvious strength of Maye’s and somewhat of a weakness for the other guy.
“I’m not talking about the Michael Vick-type, you know, running down the field,” Mayo explained on Davon Godchaux’s podcast, “I’m talking about just extending plays. If you have that skill set, to me that’s the most important thing.”
And after last week’s loss to the Jets, Mayo was non-committal about Brissett keeping his job.
“I don’t know,” Mayo said. “We talk about every single week you’re competing for a job, so we’ll get together as a coaching staff and see where it goes.”
Now, let’s get an obvious counter-argument out of the way.
Am I cherry-picking here? You bet. This is organic, grass-fed, good old fashioned cherry-picking inspired by a growing gut feeling Mayo is more eager to start Maye than other team leaders based on his comments.
But there is no denying that’s a heap of cherries, and documenting everything Mayo has said about the Patriots’ quarterback situation would require more time and space than we have. You can do that on your own, just as I did after every press conference, video call and more since Maye was drafted.
Though to quickly be fair to Mayo, he did reaffirm Brissett’s starter hours after the Jets loss, and has since made other remarks that not only support the veteran, but wisely acknowledged the offense’s inability to protect him.
“We have to support (Brissett) across the board as a coaching staff and as players. We have to support him, keep him clean,” he said Monday, “and hopefully give him opportunities to look for the open receiver.”
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So why isn’t Mayo, who has claimed complete authority over the depth chart, starting Maye?
He can’t. Not yet anyway.
Not while the Patriots allow 10 quarterback hits per game. Not while the offensive line yields a league-worst pressure rate of 48.5%, including seven sacks last week. Not while Brissett gets pummeled drive after drive, yet still hasn’t turned the ball over once or failed in such a clear and obvious way he deserves to lose his job.
Because after all, this was the plan.
Use Brissett to help re-establish the locker room culture. He became a team captain.
Let Brissett navigate an opening schedule of tough defenses and conniving defensive coordinators to keep the Patriots competitive. They have been.
Throw Brissett into a fire that might burn down the confidence of a young quarterback, but feels familiar to a nine-year veteran.
“We just feel like the worst thing that could happen is you put a guy in before he’s ready, and then you have to take him out,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf told the Herald in Week 1.
“I just keep getting up,” Brissett said Wednesday.
Maye will eventually force the Patriots’ hand and play this season. He’s already taking 30% of the team’s starting reps in practice, a number six times that of a normal backup. Beyond that, the coaches are force-feeding him more snaps on the scout team, and he’s impressed.
“Drake’s getting a ton of reps on the (scout) team, and he’s approached that process the right way,” Mayo said. “He doesn’t want to know what the defense is doing. He doesn’t want to know the coverage. He’s going out there, going through his reads, and we talk about that all the time. Just because you’re on the (scout) team doesn’t mean you can’t work on your fundamentals and your progressions, and he’s done a good job of that.”
Now, I know who I want the Patriots to start at quarterback Sunday. It’s Brissett.
He is the care-taker this offense and franchise needs. He owns the lowest interception rate in league history. He bounces back from every sack and maintains an even keel. The Patriots do not need to construct a perfect support system before handing the kid the keys. But they must do better.
Better than 10 quarterback hits per game. Better than the NFL’s highest allowed pressure rate. Better than play-calling that already feels predictable.
I am excited for the Maye era to open, whenever that is. That time is not now.
What about the head coach of the Patriots? What does he want?
I’m not sure.
How could you be?
