With New England’s quarterback battle still ongoing, the Patriots’ final preseason game against the Washington Commanders on Sunday night saw Jacoby Brissett injured and Drake Maye showcasing his talents.
Brissett started against Washington’s reserves. The Patriots announced He injured his right shoulder on New England’s first drive of the game, when Commanders defensive end KJ Henry ran unimpeded through the New England backfield, sacked Brissett and pinned him to the turf.
Brissett grimaced after the hit but stayed in the game to complete the drive. He threw two more passes before the Patriots punted. The next time New England’s offense took the field, Maye was at quarterback.
How serious is Brissett’s injury?
Meanwhile, cameras showed Brissett on the sideline holding his shoulder, but it’s unclear how much of the decision had to do with an injury. Coach Jerrod Mayo said before the game that he expected Brissett to only play one or two series.
The Patriots announced Brissett injured his right shoulder in the second quarter. He was officially listed as questionable to return and remained padded on the sideline for the remainder of the game, but was clearly done for the day.
Patriots coach Jerrod Mayo said after the game that Brissett would likely only play one or two series anyway. While Mayo didn’t provide a specific diagnosis, he was confident that Brissett didn’t suffer any major injuries and that Brissett would have been able to continue playing in regular-season games.
May showed off his arm and athleticism on his first drive.
Maye’s first drive was his most impressive performance of the preseason. On third down and 14 inside the New England 10 after a sack, Maye found a gap at the line of scrimmage and broke through the Commanders defense, which was trying to stop a deep pass, for a 17-yard scramble.
Two plays later, Maye put his skills to good use. On second down and 2 from New England’s 33-yard line, Maye made a play-action pass downfield, just out of reach of Commanders cornerback Noah Igbinoghene, and found fellow rookie Jalyn Polk for a 29-yard run for a first down.
Polk, a second-round draft pick in April, is expected to be one of Maye’s top targets when he takes over New England’s offense.
Maye completed three more passes on the drive, culminating with a swing pass to running back Kevin Harris for an 18-yard touchdown.
Maye completed 5 of 6 passes for 71 yards and finished the drive with a 17-yard score on a scramble.
Deep May’s touchdown was called off due to a penalty.
Maye finished the first half for New England, and while the Patriots didn’t score after that, Maye further demonstrated his prowess with a deep touchdown during a two-minute drill opportunity that was negated by a penalty.
Facing a second-and-10 situation at the Washington 48-yard line, Maye escaped pressure, scrambled left and fired a deep downfield pass to KJ Osborn, who was completely unattended at the 10-yard line near the sideline, and Osborn later ran the pass for a touchdown.
But the play was called off after a penalty for an illegal formation on left tackle Chukwuma Okorafor, a sign of the offensive line’s struggles throughout the first half against Washington’s reserves.
Maye finished the first half completing 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards (6.3 yards per attempt), one touchdown, no turnovers, and 17 yards on the ground. Maye did not return for the start of the second half.
Drake May was impressive in the first half against the Commanders’ reserves. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
While Maye didn’t face off against NFL stars on defense, the effort was certainly a confidence boost for a rookie quarterback fresh out of training camp.
Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton rounded out the rest of the game for the Patriots. The Commanders won 20-10 behind a 17-point fourth quarter that included touchdowns from Michael Wiley and Martavis Bryant.
Who will be New England’s starting QB in Week 1?
The question is who will start against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1. Maye, the No. 3 pick in April’s draft, is clearly the starter of the future, but there’s also a strong argument to keep him on the bench early in his career.
Early reports out of training camp indicated Maye was inexperienced and could benefit from some experience on the sideline, and there’s no rush in New England. This Patriots team isn’t built to win right now, and it’s not likely to be in the running to compete for the AFC East. Especially with Brissett, an experienced veteran and capable starter on the roster, it’s an ideal situation to get a young quarterback acclimated to a new role.
May has made steady progress since the start of camp, including Sunday’s game and a Week 2 preseason win over the Philadelphia Eagles that drew praise from Mayo.
“He’s definitely taken a step forward,” Mayo said after the Eagles game. “The competition’s not over yet. They still have to go out there and prove themselves, prove themselves to the coaching staff, but also to their teammates. So it’s definitely still a competition.”
Of course, if Brissett is truly injured, the calculus for Mayo’s decision changes. Preseason is over and the Patriots have two weeks off before the season opener on Sept. 8, during which time Mayo will name a starting quarterback. After Sunday’s game, Mayo called May the “second-best quarterback” on his current team, which is a clear indication of where he’s headed.
The question now isn’t whether Maye has earned a starting spot, but whether he should start early in his career or spend more time developing on the bench.