Patriots loss shows urgent need for Drake Maye more than you think

Of all the rookie quarterbacks, Drake Maye probably looked the most "ready" in preseason action. So, ironically, the New England Patriots No. 3 pick is tethered to the bench while journeyman vet Jacoby Brissett racks up starts under center. And, so far, there hasn't been a reason to change course. At least, not on the surface.

New England is 1-1 with an impressive victory over the Cincinnati Bengals and a competitive OT loss to the Seattle Seahawks this past Sunday. The Patriots very much look the part of a real team, led by a stout defense and what could be the NFL's best run game — an utterly shocking development when one considers the narratives that plagued this offensive line all summer.

Jerod Mayo has done an excellent job of rebuilding the culture in New England and putting a competent product on the field. That said, for all the unexpected success so far, there is still plenty of room for the Patriots to grow. That growth could require a change at quarterback.

It's generally smart to take it slow with rookie quarterbacks, as Tom Brady would advise, but there is a strong case for starting Maye. Not only does he have the talent, but he has a skill set that Jacoby Brissett simply cannot hope to replicate.

Don't believe me? Let the stats do the talking.

Patriots should strongly consider bumping Drake Maye to QB1

New England won the time of possession battle and committed zero turnovers on Sunday. The Patriots also eclipsed 300 yards of total offense and 150 yards on the ground, dominating the line of scrimmage. Even better, New England was extremely disciplined, committing only three penalties.

Since 1983, in the stat-tracking era, New England is the 153rd team to accomplish all of those feats in a single game. They are the first team to somehow lose. If there's an obvious culprit, it has to be Brissett at quarterback.

The 31-year-old completed 15 of 27 passes on Sunday for 149 yards and one touchdown. He's not committing turnovers or otherwise shooting New England in the foot, but Brissett is playing an untenably conservative brand of football. He's broadly considered one of the best backup QBs in the NFL for a reason. Brissett can adequately run the ship for a quality team. That said, Brissett's talent is not actively elevating the Patriots. He is doing the bare minimum — just enough to help the Patriots look competent.

New England can aspire to more than that. Maye comes with his share of immediate concerns, starting with the decade of inexperience relative to Brissett, but he's a singular athlete and one of the best QB prospects in recent memory. He has major arm talent, he's comfortable standing tall in the pocket, and he has enough mobility to improvise once the pass rush takes root.

Maye moved the offense more effectively during preseason and there's reason to believe that would translate to the regular season. The case against starting Maye was simple before the season — to avoid hanging him out to dry behind the NFL's worst offensive line and receiving corps. Initial preseason projections appear to have undersold what this Patriots offense is capable of, though. Two rock-solid performances against quality opponents is a great sign. It's early, so we can't punch New England's postseason ticket yet, but the vibes in Foxboro are exponentially higher than we could've imagined a few weeks ago.

The next step is planting Maye under center and letting the offense evolve to reach its final form. Maye is the future of New England football. The Patriots were wise to take a patient approach, but with such a solid team — and such a glaring weakness at QB — the time for change is now. Let's see what the kid is made of.