Everything Jerod Mayo said about decision to put in Drake Maye late in blowout loss

The New England Patriots paid a visit to the division-rival New York Jets on Thursday Night Football. It ended in unusual fashion, with the Jets absolutely pummeling New England from start to finish. It's been a while since the team from Foxboro was at such a disadvantage in this particular matchup. Apparently, that Aaron Rodgers guy is pretty good at football.

So bad was the loss, that New England actually found time for Drake Maye's NFL debut. The reigning No. 3 pick subbed in for Jacoby Brissett with 4:24 left in the fourth quarter, his team down by what would become the final score, 24-3.

Nothing like a change at quarterback to wake up a sleepy fandom. How many Patriots fans jolted awake on their couch when Maye entered the game? It was the only source of legitimate intrigue in an otherwise dour affair for the Pats.

Maye didn't exactly dominate his brief stint on the field. As was the case all night, New York applied constant pressure in the pocket. The 21-year-old completed four of eight passes for 22 yards and zero touchdowns or interceptions. He scrambled twice for 12 yards, but also took two sacks — including this hit on the final possession of the game.

There were mixed opinions on the choice to sub in Maye. Some viewed it as a great opportunity to test his mettle in a low-stakes environment. Others saw it as completely useless given the state of New England's O-line, which is a fair takeaway. Maye was not afforded much time to survey the field and wound up taking several hard hits.

Jerod Mayo spoke about his decision to debut Maye after the game.

Why Jerod Mayo decided to sub Drake Maye for Jacoby Brissett in Patriots TNF loss

"I just thought it was an opportunity, a good opportunity for him to go out there with the ones and put a few drives together," Mayo told reporters (h/t NFL Media). "He moved the ball, we'll watch the film and evaluate."

Seems simple enough. With the game out of hand, New England opted to give Maye a trial run. This does not mean that Jacoby Brissett has lost the starting job, nor does it mean Drake Maye has substantially improved his standing in the organization.

New England appears content to stick with the plan — let Brissett steer the ship (and take a ton of hits) this season before ideally turning the reins over to Maye next season, perhaps with a more suitable offensive line and WR corps in place.

That said, Mayo did prop the door wide open for a change.

"I don't know. We talk about it every single week... we'll get together as a coaching staff."

New England is 1-2 following Thursday night's defeat. There has been plenty to be positive about through three weeks, from Rhamondre Stevenson's dominance to what very well could have been a 2-0 start with a few lucky bounces in their Week 2 OT loss to Seattle. That said, New England was absolutely embarrassed on TNF. It was not particularly close. Aaron Rodgers picked apart the defense with ease and the Patriots couldn't stop the pass rush once. At least, that's what it felt like.

There is a strong chance that Maye is better than Brissett, but if the Patriots' supporting cast plays like it did Thursday, it's probably better to keep the rookie off the field for his own protection. Brissett does not have a great arm, but he's a savvy vet who can avoid some of the more dangerous hits and at least keep New England's offense level-headed. Maye has all the talent in the world, but the wrong developmental ecosystem can spoil great talent. New England needs to tread carefully.