Maye praises Brissett as ‘great mentor’ ahead of first Patriots start originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots offense has struggled mightily through five games, so the team is making a change at quarterback ahead of Sunday’s Week 6 game against the Houston Texans at Gillette Stadium.
The Patriots are turning to rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who will make his first career start this weekend.
He takes over for Jacoby Brissett. The veteran quarterback started each of the first five games. The Patriots rank 32nd out of 32 NFL teams in passing yards per game, passing touchdowns and completion percentage. Brissett hasn’t played well, but the offense’s lack of production isn’t all his fault. The offensive line has allowed the highest pressure rate and the third-highest sack rate. He has been sacked 17 times in just five starts.
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The decision to start Maye is the right one. The offense needs a spark, and Maye’s athleticism and arm strength could unlock some of the unit’s potential.
In his first press conference since being named the starter, Maye had plenty of praise for Brissett’s leadership and the toughness he has shown on the field.
“Jacoby, he’s the ideal teammate. Ideal guy to be in the room with as a quarterback,” Maye told reporters Wednesday. “I think the biggest thing is you hate it for him. I think Jacoby fought his butt off, got up every time he’s getting hit.
“Not only that, he just kept that mindset of ‘let’s get to the next play. We got this drive coming.’ Seeing him on the sideline and just the positive vibes he kind of brought to this team and still will bring to this team. He’s a great mentor, a great friend, and I was trying to do everything I can to help him and I’m sure he’ll do the same.”
Did Maye have a feeling that the decision to start him had been building over the last few weeks?
“I was just trying to prepare and stay ready every week,” Maye said. “That’s the thing about this league — you never know when your number is gonna get called. I try to stay ready. Like I said earlier, Jacoby did all he could and battled his butt off and was a great leader.”
Maye expects to be a little nervous at the start of Sunday’s game, but ultimately he just wants to enjoy the moment and do whatever he can to help the offense score points. The Patriots have scored the second-fewest points in the league at 12.4 per game.
“Go out there and try to make some plays,” Maye said. “I’ll probably be a little nervous at the beginning, but I think once we settle down and have a chance to move the football — just have fun out there. That’s what the game is about.
“Don’t make the spotlight too big. Just go out there with those guys you’ve been battling with since training camp and try to make some plays.
