Photo: Jaiden Tripi / Getty Images Sport / Getty Images
By Chris Ryan
The Drake Maye era begins tomorrow in New England.
There is good news and bad news for the 3rd overall pick in the 2024 draft.
We'll start with the bad news.
He is debuting against the Houston Texans (4-1) who boast the NFL's 4th ranked defense, while leading the NFL's 2nd worst offense with a measly 250.8 yards per game and scoring only 12.4 points per game. What's amazing is the Pats have the 8th best rushing offense in the league with 131.8 yards per game, that lets you know just how brutal the passing game has been.
New England has allowed 19 sacks, second most in the league. The only consistent compliment of Jacoby Brissett's, was basically, "That dude can sure take a beating and keep getting up."
Now to the good news.
Ah, he's getting to start, and things couldn't get much worse, right?
If we're being honest and doing a side by side with the 2022 offense led by Mac Jones with the much maligned duo of Matt Patricia/Josh Judge calling plays was better than Alex Van Pelt's output. Actually, let me rephrase that, they weren't as bad as this.
Before we get to the mysterious 'Drake Maye Plan' and we arrived at the this point to begin with, let's digress onto the injury front.
This team's depth was a major question going into the season, and if we're being honest, the healthiest version of this team looked really good on Week 1 in Cincinnati.
But, even then Christian Barmore was dealing with a blood clot that has had him sidelined and Matthew Judon had been shipped to Atlanta for a third-round pick in the upcoming draft. Then Ja'Whaun Bentley was lost for the year, then David Andrews. Jabrill Peppers is on the NFL's exempt list, following his arrest. Kyle Dugger is still dealing with an ankle injury that kept him out of the Dolphins game and has him listed as questionable for Sunday. Rhamondre Stevenson will miss this week with a foot injury.
That's seven of your top ten players going into the year either gone or sidelined.
Now, to the 'Drake Maye Plan'. It's been mentioned by head coach Jerod Mayo for months. I have no idea what it is, as it's never really been explained.
If the plan, was to hit rock bottom, look over the offensive data and say, 'If Drake is starting, maybe he makes a couple plays in the Seahawks and Dolphins game, we're 3-2,' that's interesting, but perhaps unwise.
For all his shortcomings, Jacoby Brissett didn't get picked, he had only one interception in five games. With Maye, there will be some costly mistakes, but also more plays will be made.
Although, Mayo said this wasn't much of a factor when I asked him, Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix, all from Maye's draft class, are starting and their teams are winning.
The Patriots seemed to have gotten tired in driving around in the station wagon, when the ferrari was gassed up and waiting in the garage to go for a spin.
Keys are turned, engine has been fired up...and we'll see Drake Maye drive tomorrow.
The Press Pass column (usually) drops Fridays and the show airs on iHeart NH Saturday and Sunday at 11a. Chris also covers the Patriots for WBZ-Boston's News Radio and host's New Hampshire Today weekdays from 6-9a on iHeart NH.