The New England Patriots' quarterback competition will continue through Sunday's preseason finale vs. the Washington Commanders, but offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt appears to have a clear preference for his Week 1 starter.
On Thursday, Van Pelt reiterated that Jacoby Brissett -- not Drake Maye -- is on track to start the regular-season opener.
"Jacoby," he replied when asked what's keeping Maye from getting more reps with the starting offense. "Right now he's our starting quarterback."
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That statement comes despite Maye gaining ground on Brissett in recent practices and outplaying the veteran in last week's preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Given how the two QBs have trended in opposite directions as of late, shouldn't Maye get more first-team reps with the opener just over two weeks away?
Not so fast, says our Tom E. Curran. On a new episode of the Patriots Talk Podcast, Curran explains why the team is doing the right thing by sticking with Brissett as QB1.
🔊 Patriots Talk: Pats OC Alex Van Pelt make it clear who his QB preference is right now | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
"If there was a competition and the best player would play, Drake Maye is real close," Curran said. "But what they can rely on is the off-field things that Jacoby Brissett might do that the media member might not see. Something in the media room, something in the film, something that he breaks down, something that he transfers onto his wide receivers or running backs or offensive line that Drake Maye's just not equipped for.
"And he talked about a toolbox, Alex Van Pelt did. Jacoby's got a bigger toolbox, so he can get you out of bad plays, maybe into some good ones. He knows where the landmines are, which is something I've mentioned a myriad of times.
"So that's why he's going to start, by all appearances. We will find out on Monday or Tuesday, according to Jerod Mayo. He knows where all the danger is and Drake Maye doesn't."
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Curran believes the Patriots would roll with Brissett in Week 1 even if Maye greatly outperformed him in training camp and preseason play.
"In the wake of Mac Jones, why set a kid up to fail?" Curran added. "Has it been an open competition? Yup, in terms of you can compete. Has it been an open question as to who's gonna start? No. Because there really was no way that Drake Maye could overtake Jacoby Brissett.
"Compete your ass off, but we're still gonna go with the other guy. Why? It's for your own good."
Also in the episode:
- Curran reacts to Van Pelt’s comments and explains why the development of Drake Maye is ahead of schedule.
- Curran shares his thoughts on roster cutdowns and what to expect in the final preseason game.