FOXBOROUGH – Jerod Mayo says he made the call on Drake Maye.
According to the Patriots coach, after consulting with the Krafts, de facto GM Eliot Wolf, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, as well as the other offensive coaches on the staff, he opted to sit Jacoby Brissett and put Maye in the starter’s chair.
He told the media Wednesday, that this wasn’t a spur of the moment decision in wake of Sunday’s loss to the Miami Dolphins. Mayo maintained the discussion about sitting Brissett in favor of Maye had been in the works for awhile.
And, according to Mayo, Wolf and Van Pelt, who seemed more inclined to wait, were all “on board” with the Maye starting Sunday against the Houston Texans.
So Mayo pulled the trigger.
“We say it all the time that it’s all about competition, every single position. I would say, as a coach – and I know the organization feels this way – we’re trying to win every game,” Mayo said Wednesday. “At the time (early on), we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games, protecting the football, really running the offense …
“Going forward, I think now, Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward.”
With Maye’s athleticism, his ability to throw off-platform, and hit targets in tight windows, he does give the Patriots the best chance to win, on paper at least.
Given the sad state of the offensive line, and a receiving corps that is bereft of difference-makers, what looks good on paper might not translate.
Saying that, Mayo will get credit if this turns out well. He’ll also get the blame if starting Maye turns into a disaster.
Whether flipping to Maye now – putting the rookie up against one of the best pass-rushing defenses in the league – is the right call remains debatable.
Mayo, however, can’t play that game. He has to be true to his convictions. If the offense isn’t going well, it’s Mayo’s job to step in. If he truly believes Maye is the solution, given the skillset the No. 3 overall pick provides, he has to make the move.
Or, if there was any disagreement, he has to be firm and not acquiesce. He needed to override the objections – for better or worse.
While Mayo has admittedly made some rookie mistakes already, and taken some lumps, he can’t be wrong on this one. Maye represents the future. He’s their beacon of hope.
If Mayo blows the timing with respect to Maye’s entry, there are far-reaching consequences. So he has to be right. There’s too much riding on it.
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Several players MassLive spoke with in the locker room backed Mayo, and his decision to make the move now. They were supportive of Brissett, but were behind the move.
Change was needed.
“He’s our head coach. It’s his first year, but we’re behind him,” running back Antonio Gibson said. “He feels our best chance to win right now is to go with Drake. That’s what happens when you start out like we have, and things are going like they’re going.
“He had to make a tough decision. He’s our leader. As a leader, you have to make decisions not knowing if they’re going to be the best, but you have to believe 100 percent this is the right choice regardless of how it goes. And you have to live with those consequences. That’s a decision he had to make.”
Defensive tackle Davon Godchaux said he was “excited” to see what Maye could do on Sunday. He didn’t question the decision.
“Whatever it takes to win,” Godchaux said. “Whoever they put in the position, I’m sure they’ve made the right decision for the team. Eliot, Matt (Groh ), Jerod, I’m sure they’re going to make the right decision for the team. I’m just ready to move forward and hopefully win some ball games.”
Veteran corner Jonathan Jones said it was a matter of Mayo knowing and understanding the pulse of the team. the rookie coach is trying to built a culture. He’s trying to get players to buy into what he’s trying to build.
Having more of the same with Brissett wasn’t easy to continue to sell. Given all the injuries, the problems with the offensive line, the losing, Mayo was in a tough position.
While throwing Maye out against one of the best pass-rushing defenses isn’t optimal, it was important for Mayo to exhaust all of his available options to help the team improve and win games. He couldn’t wait any longer.
“Jerod knows what it feels like to be in the locker room. He knows how guys feel. He definitely has that perspective. And guys know that,” Jones said of the Patriots former linebacker. “For a lot of reasons, I think even moreso than this year, there’s a lot of implications with this decision. It’s still early in the year. What can we make this year, and even moving forward, if you look at it, it’s for a lot of reasons.
“If (Drake’s) out on the field, you look at next year, and trying to bring in guys, so there’s a lot of reasons to do it.”
Take no risk. Gain no reward. That was the bottom line for Mayo.
