Following a concerning loss last Thursday night against the New York Jets, the New England Patriots are now at a negative record of 1-2, and the performance raised more questions than answers. HC Jerod Mayo was clear about who will be the starting QB in NFL‘s Week 4 between Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye.
On the immediate horizon are the always challenging San Francisco 49ers, and the coach has been preparing a strategy that he believes will allow the Patriots to compete on equal footing against one of the top contenders.
In a transcript from the team, when asked who would start as the quarterback, Coach Mayo was clear: “Yeah. Right now, Jacoby is still our starting quarterback,”
“Even after the game, I watched that film the whole way back home. I got in early in the morning and still felt the same way. We have to support him across the board as a coaching staff and as players. We have to support him, keep him clean, and hopefully give him opportunities to look for the open receiver.”
Mayo expressed his feelings about Drake Maye
While the head coach confirmed the presence of the experienced Jacoby Brissett in Week 4 against the San Francisco 49ers, it was also clear that he holds a positive view of rookie Drake Maye, the former North Carolina standout.
Maye saw some minutes on the field during the matchup against the New York Jets, and Mayo expressed satisfaction with his performance, noting that he handled the situation well and showed promise for the future: “He’s another guy who has athleticism, he can make all the throws,” Mayo said.
“Coming off the bench at that time is always tough, no matter what position, but especially at the quarterback position. I thought he did handle himself well and tried to put a drive together, something to build off of. I thought it was a good opportunity for him to go out there and get some live reps.”
New England Patriots next matchups
- vs San Francisco 49ers, Week 4
- vs Miami Dolphins, Week 5
- vs Houston Texans, Week 6
- vs Jacksonville Jaguars, Week 7
- vs New York Jets, Week 8