The New England Patriots are giving Drake Maye a chance to start, and his first game will be against the Houston Texans, who lead the AFC South.
The rookie, picked in the first round, is taking over for Jacoby Brissett in hopes of ending the Patriots’ four-game losing streak. However, he’ll face one of the toughest defenses in the NFL.
“There’s never a perfect time to make a change,” said Patriots coach Jerod Mayo this week when he announced the decision. “Every defense that we play … they all have the ability to rush and get after the quarterback. So, I don’t think there’s ever a perfect time.”
The Texans (4-1) will be a challenging opponent for Maye and the patched-up New England (1-4) offensive line, which has used five different lineups in five games. Houston puts pressure on the quarterback more than any other team, at 42% of dropbacks, according to NFL NextGen stats.
“It’s probably going to be a little nervous at the beginning,” Maye said this week. “I think once we settle down, we have a chance to move the football and just have fun out there.
That’s what this game is about: Don’t make it too big or the spotlight too big. Just go out there with those guys that we’ve been battling for three months since training camp, go out there and try to make some plays.”
After winning their opener and going to overtime in Week 2, the Patriots lost heavily to the Jets and 49ers and fell 15-10 to Miami, another struggling team. Brissett completed 79 of 135 passes for 696 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.
Texans coach DeMeco Ryans mentioned the challenge of facing a new player like Maye, who went 4 of 8 for 22 yards when he played briefly against the New York Jets in Week 3.
“What I’ve seen is a young, athletic quarterback who has a live arm, can move around really well in the pocket, can escape the pressures,” Ryans said. “Them making that move means they’re looking for a spark for their offense, and he can provide it.”
