FOXBOROUGH - Just days after saying Drake Maye had "out-played" Jacoby Brissett for two weeks, Jerod Mayo named Brissett the starting quarterback. For those of us who watched every practice, it made all the sense in the world. It was never an actual competition, despite assertions otherwise. Brissett got all but a few reps with the first team, while Maye was left to fend for himself with backup linemen and assorted skill position players.
But Mayo's declaration about the rookie's performance lingered - everyone heard it, including the quarterbacks themselves and the rest of the locker room - meaning it remained a big topic of conversation on Monday when we got our first extended Q&A with the head coach since the decision was made.
"Yeah, I don't think I have to rectify that with the guys in the locker room, per se," said Mayo. "I would say it goes back to the full body of work. And I would say, at the end of training camp, I think everyone could see that Drake was playing at a very high level. Now, in saying that, we had to take everything into consideration, including the spring and including the beginning part of training camp, so hopefully that clears it up for you."
Mayo insists that he is comfortable with how he handled the quarterback situation right from the get-go, even if Maye never got what I'd consider a real opportunity to unseat the veteran.
"I am; I am, 100%. No regrets in that order," said Mayo. "I will say, I think I was explicit about it in speaking to you guys how I thought about the process. There was a lot of push: ‘You’ve got to name a quarterback; you’ve got to name a quarterback.’ But I did think it was important to talk to the team about the decision. I thought it was important to talk to those two quarterbacks individually and then both combined. Before I came out here and told you guys, I just thought that was the right thing to do for the New England Patriots."
Of course, now Mayo and the Pats must continue to develop their most important asset, all while his snaps become reduced. How will they go about that?
"For me, we talk about competition in training camp, but quite frankly, it's competition each and every week," said Mayo. "We'll see how it goes. But once again, I don't want Jacoby to feel like someone's nipping at his heels. He'll get the majority of the reps while at the same time continuing to develop Drake in other ways.
"Now, a lot of you guys, I guess the next question would be, 'How do you do that?' He will still participate in some of the team drills for the upcoming team. But I also think the show (scout) team reps are very important. They've always been important. Even when I was a rookie – I also was a top-10 pick, but even as a rookie, I was on those show teams. I think that's another place where you can develop, as well as the other tools that we've talked about here over the summer."
There had been some speculation that the Patriots would go out and get a veteran quarterback if Brissett got hurt — and perhaps that still holds true — but as of right now, Mayo definitively states that Maye is the backup, and if Brissett went down, he would get the call and the ball.
"When we talk about developing a guy like Drake Maye, that is a continuous process," he said. "If Jacoby was to get injured in the first week, 1,000% Drake (Maye) would be the next guy in as the No. 2 quarterback on our roster."
STAY OFF THE INTERNET
In an expletive-filled rant on Instagram Live back on draft day, Javon Baker wondered why he didn't get picked until the 4th round and swore he would make teams regret that. Well, after another profanity-filled social media diatribe, Baker further proved the questions about his maturity level - a significant reason for his fall - were well-founded.
Baker took to Instagram Live Sunday to criticize a local police officer who gave him a ticket at Logan Airport. He suggested the two yelled at each other and that law enforcement threatened to tow his car for "no reason."
"... You ain't gonna start yelling at me and thinking I'm not fitting to yell back," Baker said. "Who does you think you is? Just because you a police officer, that don't mean nothing, bro. With my tax dollars, I pay you. Come on, bro, you work for me."
Needless to say, that drew the Patriots' attention, and Mayo was asked about the situation this morning.
"(It) in no way represents what the organization is about, in no way represents what we are about as a team, or how Javon needs to go out there and represent himself. We've handled it internally. We had a great conversation.
"I think it's a combination of immaturity and just realizing the grand scheme - we're on a big stage here, and you can't do those things. As far as our relationship with law enforcement and things like that, I think it's outstanding, and we'll continue to strengthen that relationship going forward."
Mayo admitted that the team punished the rookie wide receiver but "not to the level of missing a game."
Baker has had an erratic summer, highlighted by a fast start and some spectacular catches, but he quickly receded into the background and was plagued by drops, poor route running, and bad practice habits. He did conclude the preseason with a solid showing against the Commanders, but talent has never been the issue. It's about being a professional, and Baker's social media exploits aren't making anyone feel comfortable that he's headed in the right direction.
SOW STATUS UP IN THE AIR
When we last saw Sidy Sow on the football field, he went down in a heap in the preseason finale at Washington. It looked bad, a non-contact injury that had me thinking, 'He just tore his Achilles.' That thought may have crossed Sow's mind while he was down, but he quickly realized he had dodged a bullet.
"I knew pretty much right away I was going to be fine," he said this afternoon. "I started walking around, and my Achilles was totally fine. It wasn't torn. Ok, I'm going to be good."
That said, Sow admitted it was "hard to walk around" the first couple of days after the injury. While that has improved, he said it remains sore when he wakes up in the morning and takes a little while to warm up.
The second-year pro was absent from Monday's practice and is still wearing a brace on that right ankle. Sow described his status as "day-to-day" and wouldn't reveal whether he could play the opener in Cincinnati. As for whether there are long-term concerns with the injured area, the team's starting left guard opined, "Not as far as I know, if I'm smart about it."
While Sow was sidelined, left tackle Vederian Lowe was a limited participant in practice. He's still dealing with an injury that became apparent during practice on August 21. Mayo offered no updates on either player, saying he'd be more transparent by the end of the week.
CAPTAINS
Mayo announced that the team has six captains, as voted by the players. They are David Andrews, Joe Cardona, Jabril Peppers, Deatrich Wise, Ja'Whaun Bentley, and Brissett. The players will wear a "C" on their jerseys.
Mayo forgot to initially name Brissett as part of that group.
"Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry. And Brissett, sorry," Mayo said, when it was brought to his attention. "Good catch, good catch. So, just hit delete on those texts and those tweets. Thank you, I appreciate you bringing that up. That was going to be a fire, but hey, thank you, thank you. I definitely do appreciate that."
