Did Drake Maye show he deserves the Patriots' starting quarterback job by outperforming Jacoby Brissett in the preseason? That's the common refrain in New England after the rookie's performance on Sunday, but former Pats head coach Bill Belichick isn't sold.
Belichick was asked to share his thoughts on the Patriots' QB situation during Monday's Pat McAfee Show. McAfee asked the future Hall of Famer how he would determine whether Maye -- or any first-year signal-caller -- is ready to start in the NFL.
"First of all, I don't think you really know how anybody's playing in preseason, especially at the quarterback position," Belichick said. "The schemes are so simple from the other side of the ball, generally speaking. For the most part, you're running very basic schemes. You're trying to evaluate your players. You're trying to get them to play the good fundamentals that they know how to play. You're not disguising things. You just want your defensive players to be ready to react and play fast and quickly. ...
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"I think to come out of preseason and say, 'This guy's really playing good, that guy's really playing good,' I wouldn't put much stock in that at all. I'd put more stock in what they're doing in practice and let's see what happens in the first three or four regular-season games when the opponents specifically attack certain players based on what they think they can and can't get on them, and then let's see how they're playing then."
Even if you throw out Maye's impressive preseason finale, the Patriots' third-overall draft pick has gained ground on Brissett with his performances in recent practices. Current Pats head coach Jerod Mayo admitted Maye has outplayed Brissett to this point, though there's a significant wrinkle in the QB competition.
"Everyone wants to know who the starter is going to be. There are multiple factors that have to go into this decision," Mayo told reporters on Monday. "One is the total body of work, whether we're talking about the spring or the entirety of training camp.
"And I would also say, oftentimes we forget about the overall experience that a guy like Jacoby has, which will also be weighted in the decision we have to make in the near future."
Brissett played only one series in Sunday's preseason finale and injured his right shoulder before being replaced by Maye, who played the rest of the first half. Maye completed 13 of his 20 passes for 126 yards and one touchdown.
The Patriots' starting QB decision could come within the next couple of days. Last week, Mayo said the team will likely name its Week 1 starter on Monday or Tuesday.
New England's regular-season opener is set for Sept. 8 at 1 p.m. ET. against the Cincinnati Bengals.
