rafapress / Shutterstock.com
rafapress / Shutterstock.com
The New England Patriots picked Jacoby Brissett as their starting quarterback. Brissett is good at managing games but isn’t very exciting to watch.
Drake Maye was the No. 3 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, yet they chose Brissett.
The Patriots surprised everyone by beating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1, mainly because their defense held Joe Burrow and his team to just 10 points. Their offense only scored 16 points. In Week 2, they managed to score 20 points and forced overtime against the Seattle Seahawks, but their offense still didn’t look great.
Despite playing tough games and even winning one, Brissett’s performance wasn’t impressive. He completed just 58.8% of his passes for an average of 135 yards per game and had thrown only one touchdown before facing the New York Jets’ strong defense in Week 3.
Expectations were low for Brissett and the Patriots entering this game, and by halftime, they’d only scored three points. Brissett completed seven of his ten passes for a mere 36 yards. It’s tough to win in today’s NFL with such low passing yards.
Some fans are calling for Maye to start, while others think it’s better to protect him and let Brissett struggle.
Patriots fans can’t decide whether Jacoby Brissett or Drake Maye should start second half
Though the Jets recorded only three sacks in the first half, it felt like Brissett was under constant pressure. Just look at this play:
The Patriots offensive line can't even protect Brissett on a two man rush. He took a shot on that throw pic.twitter.com/4htc3t9RX3
— Ben Brown 🌻 (@BenBrownPL) September 20, 2024
The Patriots are starting 2 rookies we had 6th round grades on and Michael Jordan on their offensive line.
Please just let Drake Maye have a redshirt rookie season. https://t.co/BlNXGZvsol
— Gridiron Grading (@GridironGrading) September 20, 2024
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That Patriots offensive line somehow looks even worse than advertised.
The decision not to play Maye behind them looking smarter and smarter.
— Lauren Elizabeth🌹 (@xLauren_Mx) September 20, 2024
Jacoby Brissett simply needs to be able to make this throw. pic.twitter.com/ntdAhKJgLU
— Pats Buzz (@PatsBuzz) September 20, 2024
Their offensive line has been a major issue since the preseason and looked worse than expected against a Jets team missing key players Haason Reddick and Jermaine Johnson. It’s not a good situation for any quarterback, especially a rookie like Maye.
Even though the offensive line is bad, sticking with Brissett suggests the Patriots aren’t trying hard to win right now. After what we saw in the first half, it’s hard to argue that Brissett gives them a better chance than Maye.
On one of the rare plays where Brissett had time, he missed a wide-open Austin Hooper for what could have been a big gain. If he can’t make that throw, why is he still playing?
No way Jacoby Brissett makes it to next week as the starter.
— J (@ijustjason_) September 20, 2024
Patriots fans are questioning if this is the end for Brissett as the starter. But it’s unlikely they’ll bench him just yet.
Next up for New England are the San Francisco 49ers. The coaching staff probably doesn’t want Maye’s first game to be against such a tough defense on the road, especially with this shaky offensive line.
The Patriots are stuck deciding whether to focus on winning now or preparing for the future by keeping Maye safe and letting him learn from Brissett. Even their fans aren’t sure what the best move is.
