Mayo and Van Pelt provide updates on the Pats quarterback situation following the ugly loss to the Jets. Originally published on NBC Sports Boston
Jacoby Brissett started the 2024 NFL season for the New England Patriots for the third consecutive year on Thursday night, and it doesn’t sound like there will be any changes to the roster entering Week 4.
The Patriots lost 24-3 to the New York Jets in their Week 3 game at MetLife Stadium. It was an ugly performance in New England’s only primetime game of the year.
Brissett completed 12 of 18 passes for 98 yards and zero touchdowns. He was also sacked five times and hit 10 times as the offensive line struggled. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his professional debut with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. He completed four of eight passes for 28 yards and also had 12 rushing yards.
Patriots Head coach Jerod Mayo replied: “I don’t know” in his postgame press conference when asked about a possible change at quarterback. During his video conference on Friday morning, he emphasized a little more clearly that Brissett should continue to play as the starter.
“Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he’s not the quarterback,” Mayo told reporters. “I thought he showed a lot of toughness and grit last night. When there were breakdowns on defense, he tried to do what we asked him to do. I would say as a team, as a coaching staff, we just have to get better.”
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt delivered a similar message on Friday, telling reporters on a conference call that it would be best for Maye’s development if Brissett remained in the starting lineup.
“I still think you learn by watching,” Van Pelt said Friday during a video conference with the media. “I think there is still a lot to learn. I stick to that.”
“I think Jacoby is our starter, like Coach (Mayo) said. Until that changes, we have to do everything we can to get the starter fit so he can win a game on Sunday.”
The Patriots have averaged 102 passing yards per game through the first three weeks, which is second-lowest in the league. It’s hard to win games with such an ineffective passing attack.
To be fair, quarterbacks are not getting consistent pass protection. New England’s offensive line allowed pressure on 53.8 percent of dropbacks on Thursday night, which is an astonishingly high number. The fact that Brissett didn’t throw a single interception or lose a fumble despite constant pressure in the pocket is pretty impressive.
Many fans probably want Maye to start as early as Week 4. But does it make sense for him to play behind that type of offensive line? He only played one drive against the Jets and still got sacked twice and hit five times. How many times would he have been sacked and hit if he played the whole game? The offensive line needs to show massive improvement if this team is going to get back on track.
“I would say right now we’re focused on getting to 2-2,” Mayo told reporters Friday. “I say we get the bonus on Monday and then get ready for San Fran. Everything is always being re-evaluated. Just to be clear: Jacoby is still our starting quarterback until I say he’s not.”
