Jerod Mayo changed the conversation but not the grim reality.
By inserting Drake Maye into the lineup in the fourth quarter, the Patriots coach guaranteed nine days of quarterback chatter around his team instead of talk about how bad the team is and how inept the offensive line is.
And by saying he hadn’t decided who’d be the starting quarterback next week, Mayo only caffeinated the topic further.
Changing quarterbacks Thursday night was risky given the ease at which the Jets were getting into the Patriots’ backfield in New England’s 24-3 loss. But there was value in giving a developing rookie live reps in a game where the outcome was no longer in doubt.
But changing starters under center next week would be a mistake and a potential disaster. For a rookie head coach, Mayo has impressively remained even-keeled. But starting Maye next week at San Francisco would be a panic move.
Mayo is in a tough spot. Eliot Wolf gave him a screen door of an offensive line, but it’s Mayo who has to answer questions about what went wrong after a loss. Coaches, not general managers, have wins and loss records. The temptation for him to shake things up is understandable. But it would be the wrong call. Quarterback play isn’t the problem.
Jacoby Brissett has spent 2024 peeling himself off the turfas his offensive line looks on sheepishly. The Jets sacked him five times and got Maye twice two in the rookie’s short cameo. New York had almost as many quarterback hits (15) as the Patriots had completed passes (16).
The offensive line is the problem. It’s why the running game stalled. It’s why the defense was on the field too long and why the Patriots’ laundry department will need industrial-strength detergent to get the turf stains out of Brissett’s jersey.
Changing the quarterback won’t fix that and it might create more problems.
The goal isn’t to be more interesting now or more watchable now. The goal is to be better in the long term for a long time. Maye needs to learn to read NFL defenses. He needs to improve his footwork. None of that happens if he’s constantly under siege. On too many plays, Patriots quarterbacks have been forced to cross the street in Times Square without traffic lights.
That kind of pressure prevents the formation of good habits and potentially leads to bad ones.
Given his bad line and lack of reliable receivers, Brissett deserves more credit than blame. He has yet to throw an interception or fumble the ball and on hit after hit, he keeps getting up.
His talent might be limited but his toughness is overflowing. That might be the most valuable lesson Maye takes from Brissett.
“He battled. He kept getting up, kept encouraging guys on the sideline,” Maye said. “He’s a great teammate. That’s the No. 1 thing about Jacoby. He’s a great leader.”
The next 10 days should feature a parade of free-agent offensive linemen arriving in Foxborough for workouts to see if there’s anyone out there who offers an upgrade over the current collection of matadors.
But when they take the field on Sunday in California, it should still be Brissett under center. The Patriots might eventually be forced to go to Maye ahead of schedule. On one of these hits, Brissett is bound to sprain, strain, jam or separate something.
But until that happens, the Patriots should keep giving Maye lots of practice reps, while keeping him out of the danger lurking around that offensive line.
Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.
