As the New England Patriots ponder how to handle rookie quarterback Drake Maye, they might want to consider the recent history of their Week 3 opponent.
The New York Jets are well-versed in ruining young QBs, from Geno Smith to Bryce Petty to Christian Hackenberg to Sam Darnold to Zach Wilson. Darnold and Wilson were No. 3 overall and No. 2 overall draft picks, respectively, and both didn't make it past their rookie contracts in New York.
The Patriots appear wary of following in the Jets' footsteps, with veteran Jacoby Brissett installed as the team's starter for the foreseeable future while Maye develops on the bench. But is New England being too cautious with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft? Should Maye see the field sooner than later, especially if the Patriots' season starts to go south?
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SNY's Connor Hughes, who has covered the Jets for the last 10 years, joined Tom E. Curran on the latest Patriots Talk Podcast to share his take on the Maye debate based on what he's witnessed in New York.
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"I think what New England's doing right now by playing Jacoby -- and I don't know if people are up there are screaming and yelling for Maye -- you can maybe put the rookie (QB) out there when the receivers aren't that good, but you want to at least have the offensive line," Hughes said. "You don't want to just have him get beat and beat and beat."
Hughes highlighted Darnold as a prime example of how a QB can be impacted by his situation. The 2018 first-round pick was a disaster in both New York and Carolina while working with dysfunctional offenses but has thrived through two games in Minnesota, throwing for 476 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 2-0 record.
"I think the Sam Darnold experience right now in Minnesota is the best comparison to what a player can do that has the physical talent, (and) now he's in a really good situation with coaching and players around him." Hughes said. "That's the one thing Sam didn't have with the Jets at all. That's something that Sam did not have in Carolina when he was there. And now you're seeing him with some receivers and coaching and offensive line, and he's playing some pretty good football.
"... The last thing you want to do is mimic what (Darnold) was dealing with with the Jets compared to what he's now dealing with. So, if it means having the rookie sit for a little bit, maybe only getting in the final three or four games of the season until that line can be bolstered or another playmaker added, I think that's probably the best bet for the Patriots."
New England's offensive line has struggled mightily in pass protection through two games, and the Patriots are well aware of how pressure can affect a QB after the last two seasons with Mac Jones. Darnold represents another cautionary tale, and perhaps more motivation to keep Maye sidelined until the team's offensive situation improves.
MORE PATRIOTS COVERAGE
Also in this episode:
- How have Aaron Rodgers and the Jets offense looked through two weeks?
- Connor breaks down why the Jets' running game is even better than advertised
- Does the Jets defense have any areas that New England’s offense can exploit on Thursday night?
- Tom shares why it’s inevitable that Drake Maye plays this season – and why it might be before the team wants him to