Greg Bedard and Tom E. Curran offer instant reaction and analysis following the Patriots preseason finale vs. the Commanders.
Drake Maye's first drive in Sunday's preseason game against the Washington Commanders was a very enjoyable experience for New England Patriots fans.
The rookie quarterback led an 11-play, 88-yard drive capped off by a 18-yard touchdown pass to running back Kevin Harris. It was Maye's first career touchdown pass.
Check out the touchdown play in the video below:
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Jacoby Brissett started at quarterback but exited after only one possession. Maye came in and completed 5-of-6 pass attempts for 71 yards and a touchdown on his opening drive. He also escaped the pass rush and picked up yards with his legs, including an impressive 17-yard run for a first down early in the drive.
Maye also completed a couple nice passes before the touchdown. One of them was a third-and-8 completion to wide receiver DeMario Douglas.
The Patriots have not yet announced a starting quarterback for Week 1 of the regular season.
There are pros and cons to starting a rookie like Maye in Week 1. Starting a veteran Brissett also makes sense. You don't want to rush Maye if he's not fully ready to play against NFL-caliber defenses.
But after Sunday's performance, the calls for Maye to start -- both from the media and fans -- likely will grow louder.
