Jerod Mayo Clearly Wants to Make QB Change After Embarrassing TNF Loss

The first-year head coach wants to make a change at QB, but it might not be the right time yet.
Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo watches warmups before a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium.
Sep 15, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo watches warmups before a game against the Seattle Seahawks at Gillette Stadium. / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
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After playing competitive football through the season's first two games, the New England Patriots took a significant step backward on Thursday night. 

The New York Jets crushed the Patriots figuratively and literally as they lost 24-3. New England had no answers for the Jets’ defense, which hammered starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett for most of the night. Brissett completed 12-of-18 passes for 98 yards and was sacked five times. 

The Jets’ defense also recorded 15 quarterback hits as the Pats’ offensive line crumbled under pressure after playing okay in Weeks 1 and 2. With Brissett getting battered and bruised, Pats head coach Jerod Mayo gave some live game reps to rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye was okay in his lone offensive possession, completing 4-of-8 passes for 22 yards. But he too was also sacked twice.

After the disheartening loss on Thursday night, Mayo was asked if he would consider a possible QB change and the first-year head coach didn’t shutdown the idea.

“I don't know. We talk about it every single week, you're competing for a job,” Mayo said (h/t Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald). “We'll get together as a coaching staff.”

Even though most Patriots fans are excited about the future with Maye, they do not want to see him behind this offensive line yet. New England’s offensive line was one of the biggest question marks in training camp and it still hasn’t been resolved.

The offensive line played well in Week 1 against Cincinnati only allowing Brissett to get sacked once. But that number increased to three in Week 2 against Seattle and ballooned to five on Thursday night.

It would be organizational malpractice to play Maye, given the offensive line and Brissett hasn’t played badly yet. That said, there will be a time and a place for the rookie to make his first NFL start, it likely won’t happen next week against the San Francisco 49ers.

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