After a brutal Week 3 loss to the Jets, Jerod Mayo reiterates that Jacoby Brissett is still the Patriots’ starting QB
Jacoby Brissett started his third straight game for the New England Patriots to begin the 2024 NFL season Thursday night, and it doesn't sound like the depth chart will change entering Week 4.
The Patriots lost 24-3 to the New York Jets in their Week 3 matchup at MetLife Stadium. It was an ugly performance in New England's lone primetime game of the year.
Brissett completed 12 of 18 pass attempts for 98 yards and zero touchdowns. He also was sacked five times and hit 10 times as the offensive line struggled mightily. Rookie quarterback Drake Maye made his pro debut with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter. He completed four of eight pass attempts for 28 yards, while also picking up 12 rushing yards.
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Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo replied, "I don't know" in his postgame press conference when asked about potentially making a switch at quarterback. He was a bit more emphatic about Brissett continuing as the starter during his Friday morning video conference call.
"Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he's not the quarterback," Mayo told reporters. "I thought last night he showed a lot of toughness, a lot of grit. On protection breakdowns, he tried to do what we asked him to do. I would say as a team, as a coaching staff, we’ve just got to be better."
Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt gave a similar message Friday, telling reporters in a conference call that it's best for Maye's development if Brisssett continues to start.
“I still think it’s by watching,” Van Pelt said during a video conference with the media Friday. “I think there’s a lot to be learned yet. That’s where I’ll stay on that.
"I think Jacoby is our starter, like Coach (Mayo) said. Until that changes, we’ve got to do everything we can to get the starter ready to win a game on Sunday.”
The Patriots have passed for an average of 102 yards per game through three weeks, which ranks tied for the second-lowest amount in the league. It's hard to win games with a passing attack that is so ineffective.
In fairness to the quarterbacks, they are not being given consistent pass protection. New England's offensive line allowed pressure on 53.8 percent of dropbacks Thursday night, which is an astoundingly high number. The fact that Brissett has not thrown a single interception or lost a fumble while facing constant pressure in the pocket is pretty impressive.
A lot of fans probably want Maye to start as soon as Week 4. But does it make sense for him to play behind this kind of offensive line? He played just one drive against the Jets and was still sacked twice and hit five times. How many times would he have been sacked and hit if he played the whole game? The offensive line needs to show massive improvement if this team is going to get back on track.
"What I would say is all of our focus right now is to get to 2-2," Mayo told reporters Friday. "I say we have the bonus Monday, and then get ready for San Fran. Everything's always under evaluation. Just so I'm clear, Jacoby is still our starting quarterback until I say he's not."
