The Drake Maye report many Patriots fans have been waiting for his here
The Drake Maye era will reportedly begin in New England this Sunday, with the third overall pick set to start against the Houston Texans.
According to a new report, New England Patriots fans won’t have to wait much longer for the team’s highly anticipated quarterback change. As first reported by NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Patriots are expected to go with Drake Maye as their starting quarterback this Sunday against the Houston Texans.
This announcement doesn’t come totally out of the blue. Head coach Jerod Mayo’s tone on the quarterback position noticeably shifted following last week’s loss to the Dolphins.
The Patriots drafted Maye third overall this past spring out of UNC. Maye had a slow start to training camp but made quick progress, with Mayo noting at the end of the summer that Maye had “outplayed” starter Jacoby Brissett to that point.
Maye appeared in three preseason games, going 21-of-34 for 192 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He also got one drive of regular season action in Week 2 against the Jets, and went 4-of-8 for 22 yards.
Brissett relinquishes the starting role after five games, in which the Patriots went 1-4. He completed 58.5 percent of his passes for 696 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
The landing spot for Maye won’t be an easy one. He’ll face a Texans defense that ranks fourth in the NFL against the pass. Last week that unit limited Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen to going just 9-of-30 for 131 yards, as buffalo put up just 276 total yards and 20 points overall.
For the Patriots, protecting Drake Maye in the passing game will be key. The offensive line looked improved last week, but through the first five games overall Brissett was the most-pressured quarterback in the NFL, facing pressure on exactly 50 percent of his dropbacks per Next Gen Stats.
The Patriots will hold their first practice of the week on Wednesday. Mayo is scheduled to speak to the media prior to practice.
