Drake Maye's first career start is going exactly how we all thought except the Patriots

The New England Patriots officially turned over the offense to Drake Maye in Week 6's matchup against the Houston Texans. It was a candid admission that Jacoby Brissett wasn't going to win football games with this team. So, instead of trying to feign respectability, the Patriots are embracing the tank and seeing what they have in Drake Maye.

In terms of talent, it's the right choice. Maye has a special arm and all your prototypical athletic tools at the QB position. He was QB2 on a lot of draft boards behind Caleb Williams and he could very well become the franchise quarterback New England has been searching for ever since Tom Brady's not-so-friendly departure all those years ago.

That said, anybody who expected immediate stardom from Maye was in for a rude awakening on Sunday afternoon. The Patriots weren't exactly throwing Maye a softball in his first start — the Houston defense is tough as nails, and New England's offensive line has been a sieve all season.

It should come as no real surprise that Maye's first NFL quarter went... poorly.

Maye netted one completion, one interception, and one tackle (after the INT) in the first quarter of Sunday's showdown with Houston. Brutal.

Drake Maye starts predictably slow in his first Patriots start

The Texans sprinted out to a 14-0 lead in the first quarter and it felt like the Patriots were in for a blowout. The second quarter, thankfully, was much better. Maye was able to string together a few first downs and even lead a touchdown drive in the waning minutes of the first half, cutting Houston's lead to seven at the break.

That's basically a new ballgame. The Patriots remain underdogs the rest of the way, but Maye has settled in after dealing with the natural jitters of his first NFL start. The Patriots' O-line and battered WR corps remain points of weakness, but if Maye can operate with a steady hand and stay upright in the pocket (he took two sacks for 12 yards lost in the first half), New England will be glad he's under center. He finished the first half completing 8-of-14 passes for 105 yards, one touchdown, and one interception.

All summer, there has been hand-wringing over when the best time was to deploy Maye. Some wanted him to start Week 1. He's the future of the franchise, so why wait? Others were of the opinion that Maye should get a full season of understudy work in before taking the reins. That would've allowed him to pick up plenty of working knowledge from the sideline, and it would've allowed the Patriots to build a better roster around him in the 2025 offseason before tossing Maye to the sharks.

New England decided to wait five weeks instead. Maye went straight into the fire as a 21-year-old rookie. Now, we see if he's built for it, or if he crumbles under the weight of expectations (and an unrelenting pass rush).