With New England’s quarterback competition still ongoing, Jacoby Brissett pitched and Drake Maye flashed his upside in the Patriots’ preseason finale against the Washington Commanders on Sunday night.
Brissett got the start against Washington’s backups and kept it The Patriots declared He suffered a right shoulder injury on New England’s first drive of the game. Commanders defensive end K.J. Henry ran untouched into the New England backfield, sacked Brissett, and drove his body into the ground.
Brissett frowned after the hit, but stayed in the game to finish the drive. He threw two more passes before a Patriots punt. Maye was on the quarterback when New England’s offense took the next field goal.
How serious is Brissett’s injury?
Cameras, meanwhile, caught Brissett on the sideline holding his shoulder, but it’s unclear how much that decision had to do with the injury. Head coach Jerrod Mayo said before the game that Brissett was expected to play only a series or two.
The Patriots announced in the second quarter that Brissett suffered a right shoulder injury. His return was officially listed as questionable, and he was on the sidelines the rest of the way at bats, but his night was clearly over.
Patriots coach Jerrod Mayo said after the game that Brissett was going to play a series or two. While he doesn’t have a specific diagnosis, Mayo said he’s confident Brissett has avoided any major injuries. Also, Mayo said, had this been a regular season game, Brissett would have been able to continue playing.
Maye shows off his arm and athleticism on the first drive
May’s first drive was the most impressive display of the season. Facing third-and-14 inside New England’s 10-yard line after a sack, Maye found a crease at the line of scrimmage and broke free on a 17-yard scramble through a Commanders defense that played to stop a deep pass.
Two plays later, Maye showed his hand. On second-and-2 from the New England 33-yard-line, Maye found fellow rookie Jalin Polk on a play-action pass downfield out of the hands of Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinohane. The play went 29 yards and a first down.
A second-round pick in April, Polk plans to be one of May’s top targets whenever he takes over New England’s offense.
Maye completed three more passes on the drive that ended with a swing pass to running back Kevin Harris for an 18-yard touchdown.
Maye completed 5-of-6 passes for 71 yards and a score in addition to his 17-yard scramble.
Deep Maye’s TD was called back for a penalty
Maye finished the first half for New England. The Patriots didn’t score again, but Maye flashed his upside again with a deep touchdown nullified by a penalty when given a chance two minutes into the play.
Facing second-and-10 at the Washington 48-yard line, Maye escaped pressure and hit a wide-open KJ near the sideline at the 10-yard line. Rusted to his left before launching a deep downfield pass to Osborne. Asbron ran it in for a touchdown.
But an illegal formation penalty on left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor nullified the game. The penalty marks an offensive line that struggled throughout the first half against Washington’s backups.
Maye finished the first half 13-of-20 passing for 126 yards (6.3 yards per attempt) with a touchdown and no turnovers. He added 17 yards on the ground. He did not return at the start of the second half.
Again, Maye faced no NFL starters on defense. But the effort is certainly a confidence boost for a rookie quarterback fresh out of training camp.
Bailey Chappey and Joe Milton finished the rest of the game for the Patriots. The Commanders rallied for a 20-10 victory behind a 17-point fourth quarter that included touchdowns by Michael Wiley and Martavis Bryant.
Who is New England’s starting QB in Week 1?
Now the question becomes: Who will start in Week 1 against the Cincinnati Bengals? Maye — the No. 3 pick in April’s draft — is the clear starter of the future. But there is a strong case for keeping him on the bench early in his career.
Early reports from training camp suggested the mayo was raw and could benefit from seasoning on the side. There is no rush in New England. This Patriots team isn’t built to win right now and doesn’t come close to contending in the AFC East. It’s a great situation to ease a young quarterback into his new role — especially with Brissett as an experienced and capable starter on the roster.
Mayo has improved since the start of camp, including Sunday’s game and a Week 2 preseason effort against the Philadelphia Eagles.
“He definitely took a step forward,” Mayo said after the Eagles game. “The tournament isn’t over. They’re still going to go out there, and they have to show not only themselves and their coaches, but also their teammates. So, it’s definitely still a tournament.”
If Brissett is indeed injured, it will change the calculus of Mayo’s decision. The preseason is over, and the Patriots will have two weeks off from competition before their Sept. 8 season opener — a break during which Mayo will name a starting quarterback. Mayo called him the “second-best quarterback” on their roster after Sunday’s game, which gives a clear idea of where he’s headed.
Meanwhile, the big question isn’t whether or not Mei earns the starting job — but whether he should start this early in his career or spend more time off the bench.
