EAST RUTHERFORD, NJ — This is what we know about the Patriots after three games into the Jerod Mayo era, after Thursday night's listless 24-3 drubbing by the Jets:
- The Patriots' offensive line will allow an unhealthy amount of QB pressure (they're now No. 1 in the league at 44.8% after allowing a season-worst 45.7% on Thursday night);
- Jacoby Brissett will spend at least three plays writhing in pain on the turf and being slow to get up;
- Things will actually get worse on the offensive line due to injury (Sidy Sow Week 1, Vederian Lowe Week 2 and Caeden Wallace Week 3);
- The defense will eventually get picked apart by veteran QBs with a full complement of weapons (Week 1 Joe Burrow doesn't count), and the Patriots' defense will aid its demise by allowing the QBs an easy release out of the pocket to the right to slice and dice them with their arms and legs;
- Keion White will have multiple QB hits if not sacks (shutout vs. the Jets but still managed two QB hits;
- Bryce Baringer will punt the crap out of the ball;
- And Mayo will inadvertently step in it during a press conference.
The head coach was asked after the game, in which Drake Maye got his first taste of regular-season NFL action (he was pummeled four times, including two sacks), is there was a possibility of a quarterback change.
"Um, I don't know," Mayo said. "We talk about it every single week that you're competing for a job so, we'll get together as a coaching staff and see where it goes."
Wrong answer. Have the Patriots stooped so low they're the Carolina Panthers now?
Mayo has to do a better job anticipating these questions. If the Patriots lose, and Brissett doesn't play lights-out, chances are Mayo is going to be asked about a quarterback change. He needs to be ready to deflect those questions.
Because the answer, after Thursday's flaccid loss to the Jets, should be this:
HELL NO WE'RE NOT PLAYING DRAKE MAYE ANYTIME SOON.
I mean, do people have eyes? Nowhere on god's green Earth should the Patriots remotely think about putting Maye anywhere near that offense. It's freaking carnage out there behind the group that can't block straight.
It reminds me of a scene in Dazed and Confused where the eighth-grade boys ask their teacher if he'll let them out early so they can escape getting paddled by the rising seniors.
"It's like our sergeant told us before one trip into the jungle. Men! Fifty of you are leaving on a mission. Twenty-five of you ain't coming back."
That's basically what it's like sending anyone out there behind that offensive line, against defenses that seemingly know every time the Patriots want to try a playaction pass and there's a defensive convention in the backfield, and with an offensive coordinator in Alex Van Pelt who obviously has no clue what plays to call these Patriots can actually execute.
You might as well send Maye out to go dodge traffic on 93. It's the same thing - especially if you are entertaining the thought of starting Maye against the 49ers in Santa Clara with Nick Bosa waiting to lineup against the Patriots' fourth left tackle in four games, Javon Hargrave pushing Layden Robinson and Michael Jordan around, and Fred Warner waiting to take Maye's head off on his inevitable decision to take off from the pocket too soon.
I mean, just in his 12 dropback stint against the Jets, who weren't exactly sitting back calling four blitzes, Maye was planted into the MetLife turf by Jamien Sherwood, had his arm hit while releasing one pass, Malachi-crunched on two sacks by the Jets - and the last one that ended the game knocked his helmet off.
We got no blocking. We got no touchdowns ... our QBs heads are falling off!!
I mean, if that doesn't tell the tale of the 2024 Patriots through three games - man, that Bengals game feels like two months ago, doesn't it? (we and everyone else in the NFL can always count on the utterly hopeless Zach Taylor in season openers) - I don't know what does.
Yet some people will want to start Maye as soon as possible ... to what end? Do you people like pain?
I have no issue with Mayo putting Maye into this game. The game was over and Maye needs to start getting his feet wet. I don't understand why Mayo didn't call a timeout after Maye's head ... err ... helmet fell off. They'd already gone for two fourth downs on the drive, including one that was 4th and 8 (when Maye picked up 11 yards running after inexplicably not throwing to a wide-open Hunter Henry). There were 10 seconds left, you're at the Jets 12 with three timeouts left. A touchdown could have done everybody good, including Maye because at this rate, he's playing again for real soon when Brissett can't peel himself off the turf.
"Obviously not the first time you want to be out there in a blowout loss, but at the same time, just want to go out there and try to make some plays and have some fun," Maye said after the game. "Good chance to watch my first action ever. Felt nervous running out there, but what a night, with the crowd, kind of atmosphere to kind of get my first game under my belts, and first action."
As for Maye's stint, it was fine.
He finished 4 for 8 for 22 yards, 2 sacks and picked up 12 yards on two rushes.
Maye's first pass was nearly picked off. He left the pocket very quickly on his next dropback, before any routes developed, and quickly closed and Sherwood welcomed him to the NFL on his back. Maye threw a screen to Antonio Gibson that went for no gain. On 3rd and 2, Maye threw to Kayshon Boutte short of the sticks and got a generous mark for a first down. He was sacked by Will McDonald and Leonard Taylor (thanks to Robinson). Another screen to Douglas went for 5 yards. On 4th and 8, Maye passed on a slant to Henry and ran 11 yards when defenders backs were turned playing man-to-man coverage. He threw well wide to a covered Austin Hooper. He was hit low and on the arm attempting to hit Boutte again. Maye and Douglas couldn't hook up against the blitz when Douglas stopped to keep from getting clobbered and Maye expected him to keep going. And then on 4th and 10, Maye had his best play when he moved well in the pocket, and threw a nice 15-yard completion to Douglas over the middle. And then the fun ended on the final sack.
"Took some stupid sacks, we were trying quick game, so I could get the ball out and can't take a sack in that situation," Maye said. "At the same time, we got some first downs, moved the chains, made a play with my feet, hit Pop pver in the middle. So got the good things looking at the same time, gotta watch tape.
"We kind of ran no-huddle kind of scenario so little different than kind of command the huddle and being in there calling some plays, but at same time moving fast and getting down the red zone is tough. We got a few plays in the red zones tough. Those guys did a good job, and these defenses mix it up. So gotta be quick with my decisiveness and try to get the ball out."
Of course, because Mayo didn't shut down the starting QB questioning, Maye was asked if he was ready to possibly start.
"Yeah, I think kind of what I'm doing week in, week out, be ready to go when my name is called, my number is called, go out there and try to make the plays," he said. "So in the meantime, I've been preparing like I'm the starter, and at same time, you know, I've been there for Jacoby. He battled tonight. I mean, he kept on getting up every time, jogging off, encouraging guys on the sidelines. So he made some great throws tonight."
Brissett was also asked about Mayo's comment, if Brissett still feels like it's his job.
"Oh, of course," he said. "I mean, I don't make personnel decisions. My job is to go out there, get ready to play, put good football on tape and put my best foot forward."
Brissett finished 12 of 18 for 98 yards and was sacked five times. Rhamondre Stevenson averaged 3.8 yards per carry, so the run game wasn't there against the Jets, who also jumped out to a 14-0 lead to become the first Patriots opponent to grab the lead.
Of course, there's a lot wrong on this offense before you even get to the QB, starting with Van Pelt needing to find out why Seattle and New York seemed to know exactly when the Patriots wanted to pass.
"Yeah, I think they just had our number," Brissett said. "When we're in clear passing situations, you know, they were obviously teeing off and things like that. But it'll be interesting to go back and see the film and see what they tried to accomplish coming out and see what we can do. Because we play them again, they’re in our division, so we’ve got to get ready for them again."
And Tom Brady could come out retirement and not change the fortunes with the way this offensive line is blocking.
"I thought the offensive line today had a hard time, had a hard time," Mayo said. "There were times earlier in the game where the pockets looked pretty clean but as the game wore on, similar to last week, started falling apart as far as the protection. It's not only knowing how to do it, it's also knowing what to do. I'll also say we had some injuries up front that, you know, the next man has to be ready to go.
"Look, we just got beat pretty handedly and I'd say right now everything is of concern. The offensive line, you want those guys to be able to go out there as a unit and gel together but whether it's through injury or through whatever it is, we just haven't found the right combination.
"The first thing I have to look at myself in the mirror. Make sure I did everything that I could to get the guys ready to go. Based on the score today, I needed to do more, but going back to what I said earlier, just have to set the reset button, this is NFL football, and we have to get better."
That would also include Mayo being better at not giving his team, his quarterbacks, more adversity than they're already handling on the field (which is plenty) with his words that show carelessness and lack of preparedness.
And we should wonder why the Patriots have been thoroughly outcoached in their last five-plus quarters to fall to 1-2?
Maye's time will come, but hopefully not anytime soon. You shouldn't wish being put out there behind that line and with the lack of a coherent pass game on your worst enemies.
And especially the future franchise quarterback.