The Drake Maye era in New England officially began when he was named the starting quarterback for the Patriots in Week 6. It was an expected move after the team fell to 1-4 and Jacoby Brissett continued to struggle.
The rookie had already impressed throughout training camp and preseason, to the point that even Jerod Mayo stated that he won the quarterback competition. But it took a while for the new regime to finally pull the trigger and put him under center, which made a lot of sense, given the questionable offensive line.
Once on the field, he continued his impressive streak and showed exactly why the Patriots drafted him. Despite the back-to-back losses to the Texans and Jaguars, Maye was never a problem. He did all that he could to get the team another win, which he did again on Sunday in their Week 8 matchup with the Jets.
Maye scored the first touchdown of the day by running it in himself and set the tone early. That was going to be the pace for the day, but he suffered a helmet-to-helmet hit early in the second quarter that sidelined him for the rest of the game, forcing Brissett to take over.
Fans in attendance and at home had lost hope of a win, but the veteran helped the Patriots to a comeback win over the Jets and shocked the NFL world with his efforts. Because of that, he made sure to let the media know after the game how he felt about what he accomplished, and it was completely warranted for him to go there.
Jacoby Brissett didn't shy away from shading Patriots reporters after the team's win
Fans and the media had trashed Brissett through the first month of the season, which he obviously heard and took personally.
Given the opportunity, he spoke about being proud of what he did on the field on Sunday, leading the team to their second win of the year, and told reporters he was proud and didn't lose the belief in himself despite what outsiders had been saying about him this season.
#Patriots veteran QB Jacoby Brissett on his redemption after being benched:
— Carlos Talks Pats (@LosTalksPats) October 27, 2024
“No redemption. I think this is a testament to be believing in myself and not (the media)… I was very fortunate to have this opportunity… I’m very proud of myself today.” pic.twitter.com/FiDBanwyL6
He might not be the quarterback of the future nor the veteran that fans were hoping the team would sign, but he's proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he is an incredible teammate and great for the locker room. Not to mention, he is now responsible for the only wins the Patriots have this year, which seems to be going under the radar.
It's a good sign for what might be to come since Maye's immediate future is unclear due to the concussion. It's possible he will miss next week's game against the Titans, which means Brissett will be in once again.
If Sunday's game was any indication of the toughness the team will bring against another beatable opponent, then we could be looking at another win next Sunday.