When should the Patriots play Maye? A Jets reporter shares important context Originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
As the New England Patriots ponder how to handle rookie quarterback Drake Maye, they may want to consider the recent history of their Week 3 opponent.
The New York Jets are experts at ruining young quarterbacks, from Geno Smith to Bryce Petty to Christian Hackenberg to Sam Darnold to Zach Wilson. Darnold and Wilson were the third and second overall picks in the draft, respectively, and neither outlived their rookie contracts in New York.
The Patriots seem wary of following in the Jets' footsteps, with Veteran Jacoby Brissett was installed as the team's starter. for the foreseeable future as Maye develops on the sideline. But is New England being too cautious with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft? Should Maye take the field sooner rather than later, especially if the Patriots’ season starts to go south?
SNY's Connor Hughes, who has covered the Jets for the past 10 years, joined Tom E. Curran on the latest Patriots Talk Podcast to share his thoughts on the Maye debate based on what he witnessed in New York.
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“I think what New England is doing right now by playing Jacoby — and I don't know if people are yelling for Maye — is maybe you can put the rookie (QB) on the field when the receivers aren't as good, but at least you want to have the offensive line,” Hughes said. “You don't want him getting hit over and over again.”
Hughes highlighted Darnold as a prime example of how a QB can be affected by his situation. The 2018 first-round pick was a disaster in both New York and Carolina while working with dysfunctional offenses, but he has thrived in two games in Minnesotathrowing for 476 yards and four touchdowns with two interceptions while leading the Vikings to a 2-0 record.
“I think Sam Darnold's experience right now in Minnesota is the best comparison to what a player can do who is physically gifted, (and) is now in a really good situation with the coach and the players around him,” Hughes said. “That's the one thing Sam didn't have with the Jets at all. That's something Sam didn't have in Carolina when he was there. And now we're seeing it with some receivers, coaches 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 dealing with now. So if that means sitting the rookie out for a while, maybe playing just the final three or four games of the season until that line can be bolstered or another marquee player can be added, I think that's probably the best bet for the Patriots.”
New England's offensive line He has had great difficulty protecting the pass. After two games, the Patriots know all too well how pressure can affect a QB after the past 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.
Also in this episode:
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How have Aaron Rodgers and the Jets' offense looked through two weeks?
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Connor explains why the Jets' ground game is even better than advertised
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Does the Jets defense have any areas that New England's offense can exploit on Thursday night?
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Tom shares why it's inevitable that Drake Maye will play this season and why it could be before the team wants him
