Jerod Mayo keeps Drake Maye tethered to the bench after mixed debut, and it's the right choice

The New England Patriots have now fallen back to reality, with a 1-2 record. On Thursday night, the Patriots lost 24-3 to the rival New York Jets. As the score indicates, the game wasn't even close, as New England's offense was unable to do anything due to New York's relentless pass rush. Quarterback Jacoby Brissett was under constant pressure due to the lack of help behind an overall ineffective offensive line.

Late in the game, head coach Jerod Mayo shocked the viewing audience by putting in rookie quarterback and third-overall selection Drake Maye. The move was shocking, considering how much pressure Brissett was under.

Considering Mayo benched Brissett with the game out of reach, fans wondered if he was going to start Maye at quarterback for the foreseeable future. The answer to that question, is no.

After the game, Mayo told reporters that he has no intention of benching Brissett for Maye any time soon.

"Jacoby is our quarterback until I say he's not the quarterback," Mayo said, h/t USA Today.

While this announcement may not make a portion of the fanbase happy, it is the right choice.

Jerod Mayo not benching Jacoby Brissett for Drake Maye, and it's the correct decision

Yes, playing a rookie quarterback out of the gate to get used to facing NFL defenses has its positives. But it's best when the entire situation they are in is solid enough to limit any potential struggles or injuries.

For the Patriots, the offensive line is a gigantic problem. In Thursday's game, Brissett was pressured on 12-of-23 dropbacks according to Pro Football Focus. On those dropbacks, Brissett completed three-of-seven throws for just 28 yards while getting sacked five times. It was no better for Maye even in his limited playing time. Maye was pressured on 5-of-12 dropbacks, where he failed to complete his lone pass attempt while getting sacked twice.

It simply isn't an ideal situation for Maye. If Mayo were to send Brissett to the bench for Week 4, that would leave Maye to face off against the San Francisco 49ers. Behind that offensive line? That would be a bad day for Maye.

While NFL fanbases want to see their rookie quarterback start sooner rather than later, the Patriots need to make sure he has more help along the line of scrimmage. Unfortunately, that may not happen until next offseason.