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Mike Reiss, ESPN Staff Writer
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said Friday that Jacoby Brissett remains the team’s starting quarterback, praising his toughness despite a flurry of protection breakdowns in Thursday’s 24-3 loss to the New York Jets.
Mayo’s declaration came a day after he inserted rookie Drake Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the draft, into the game late in the fourth quarter so he could experience his first regular-season action.
“Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he is not the quarterback,” Mayo said Friday morning. “I thought he showed a lot of toughness, a lot of grit.”
Brissett, who finished 12-of-18 for 98 yards, was sacked five times and in-game statisticians charted that he was hit 15 times as the Jets turned to a blitz-heavy approach to exploit the Patriots’ short-handed offensive line. In the Patriots’ first three games, he is 42-of-69 for 368 yards with one touchdown and no interceptions.
Immediately after the game Thursday, Mayo shared his coaching philosophy that every player is always competing for his job, and said he planned to meet with the coaching staff to discuss the team’s quarterback plans.
That includes offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt, who told reporters Friday that he believes Maye will benefit more from remaining the backup to Brissett at this time.
“I still think it’s by watching. I think there’s a lot to be learned yet, and that’s where I’ll stand on that,” Van Pelt said, adding that he’s encouraged about Maye’s future. “Jacoby is our starter, like Coach said, until that changes, I think we got to do everything we can to get the starter ready to win a game on [Oct. 29 in San Francisco].”
In his one drive, Maye was 4-of-8 for 22 yards and he added two rushes for 12 yards. The drive began at the Patriots’ 42-yard line and ended with a sack after advancing to the Jets’ 7-yard line.
“Coming off the bench at that time is always tough, no matter what position, but especially the quarterback position and I thought he handled himself well and tried to put a drive together,” Mayo said, noting Maye’s athleticism and ability to make every throw. “It’s something to build off.”
In practice, the Patriots have been giving Maye 30% of the first-team repetitions, according to Mayo. The plan is to stick with that approach.
“Right now, I’d say it’s still status quo. I said it earlier — Jacoby is still our starting quarterback and we have to be ready to support him, 11 guys out there on offense. It’s everyone,” Mayo said.
The Patriots (1-2) next visit the San Francisco 49ers on Sept. 29.