With one preseason game still to play, the New England Patriots are in the final stages of preparation for the NFL season. Head Coach Jared Mayo has yet to decide who will be the starting QB for Week 1, but veteran Jacoby Brissett has made his intentions clear to rookie Drake Maye.
The start of the preseason for a Patriots team in the midst of a rebuild has yielded one win and one loss so far. Both games took place at Gillette Stadium: the debut was a victory against the Carolina Panthers, 17-3, while last weekend saw a narrow defeat to the Philadelphia Eagles, 13-14.
Next Sunday, August 25, Mayo and the Patriots will travel to Washington to face the Commanders, with the primary goal of finalizing preparations for the season opener, regardless of the final outcome of the game.
Without a doubt, the most important task for the head coach as the season approaches is to decide who will be the starting quarterback. Mayo has yet to make a decision, choosing between the extensive NFL experience of Brissett or taking a chance on rookie Drake Maye, formerly of North Carolina.
The primary goal moving forward is to improve upon last season’s disappointing campaign. The New England team ended with a lackluster 4-13 record, which naturally placed them at the bottom of the AFC East standings.
Brissett made his stance on the situation clear
While uncertainties remain about the starting lineup the Patriots will field in their season opener against the Bengals, one player who is certain to be in the lineup from the start is former Browns and Colts quarterback Jacoby Brissett.
“I still treat myself as if I’m the starter. I can’t worry about that,” Brissett told reporters. “I just go out there and do my job. I’ve been in this league long enough, and a lot of crazy things have happened in my career so far, and I wouldn’t be shocked by anything. But at the same time, I’m enjoying this process, putting my best foot forward, and just letting the chips fall where they may. . . . I don’t really worry about the competition.”, when asked about competition with Maye.
Mayo has yet to decide between Brissett and Maye
While Maye has made it clear to Mayo and Brissett he will accept any role he’s given, the New England head coach has yet to decide who will start in Week 1. In a statement to the press, Mayo said: “We still don’t know right now. We have another preseason game, and then a week after that. When I know, I’ll let you know.”
Although it seems that Brissett would be the likely starter, Mayo remained optimistic about Maye’s progress at the position: “Right now it’s all going the right way, right direction, and hopefully he continues to get better.”