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Drake Maye did not start his NFL opener, and now he knows why.
The rebuilding Patriots may not be a Super Bowl contender yet, but they still have the championship pedigree when it comes to rookie QB Maye.
As the former Tar Heel star kept improving during the preseason, Patriot fans and even the know-it-all media in Boston were predicting Maye would start the first game of the regular season at Cincinnati.
Instead, they went with 7-year veteran Jacoby Brissett, who does not have the pure skill as the 6-5 dart thrower, but he had what it took to upset the Bengals and their star quarterback Joe Burrow, 16-10.
Look at the rookies in a similar position over the years, all the way back to Tom Brady, who sat out his first season and was ready when pressed into duty the next year. Same thing for Patrick Mahomes. There have been rookies who started under center, such as ex-Clemson star Trevor Lawrence, who suffered through a miserable rookie season and has since figured it out.
Brissett executed a great game plan by rookie head coach Jerod Mayo and new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. He completed 15 of 24 mostly short passes to run the clock and keep Burrow off the field. He gave the ball to bulldozing running back Rhamondre Stevenson, who had 25 carries for 120 yards and sealed the upset with tough first down runs down the stretch.
Meanwhile, Maye stayed on the sideline without his helmet and wearing an earpiece to hear what was said between the coaches and Brissett. And if we know Maye, he is far happier with the win than disappointed he did not get into the game.
He may play sooner than later, since the Patriots need a deep passing attack to score more than 16 points. Their excellent defense won’t be able to hold opponents to 10 like they did the Bengals.
When and where is the question, but it won’t be bandied about in Boston for the next few weeks, particularly if the Pats can win their home opener against Seattle and their visit to the Jets in week three.
Mayo, who played for and worked under Hall of Famer Bill Belichick, will not be on thin ice no matter what he does during his first season. He has the backing of the franchise and has put together a better team than most credited him for during the complicated process of building a final roster.
The defense held Burrow to 164 yards passing and shut down the Cincy running game. Maye is a sponge for coaching and chances are he learned a ton on the sideline of his first official game.
When he becomes the Patriots starting quarterback, he will be more prepared than he would have been Sunday.
Featured image via Associated Press/George Walker IV
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
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