NFL analyst believes preseason narrative about Drake Maye ended with Patriots win

Jerod Mayo's decision surrounding who would be named the starting quarterback for the Patriots 2024 season was one of the most highly anticipated yet predictable announcements in recent memory. However, the official naming of Jacoby Brissett in that role frustrated many fans who wanted to see rookie Drake Maye get the early nod.

It was a valid disappointment, given how Maye performed during the preseason, but there were also real concerns regarding the state of the offensive line and how their inconsistency could negatively impact the development of a young quarterback.

That was one of the primary reasons other fans and analysts were happy with the decision to keep Maye on the bench for a while, especially at the beginning of the season, when there were so many questions about who the right offensive line group would be.

With starting guard Sidy Sow ruled out and Mayo revealing they hadn't yet established who the starting five linemen would be just days before their Week 1 matchup with the Bengals, it seemed as though the decision to go with Brissett made the most sense. His veteran experience from his nine year career would suit the offense better to overcome any deficiencies that may present itself.

But now that we saw a far more impressive performance from the group in Sunday's win, analysts are revisiting the argument about keeping Maye on the bench, with some believing the offense is built to support a rookie quarterback more than anyone initially thought.

NFL reporter flip flops on Patriots offensive readiness to support Drake Maye

Most of the preseason was spent listening to NFL analysts and reporters harp on the dysfunction regarding the Patriots' offensive line, with a pile of penalties and lack of protection of the quarterbacks the prime reasoning.

It led to most agreeing with Mayo's decision to keep Maye benched at the start of the year, even if they believed the rookie was a more talented quarterback than Brissett and gave the Patriots a far better chance of winning.

The idea of putting him behind a problematic offensive line was frightening enough to get many on board with waiting until the time was right for Maye to get a chance. But the Patriots' o-line allowing just four hits and no sacks through four quarters has changed Sports Illustrated's Albert Breer's mind about the offense's readiness to properly support the rookie quarterback.

While the group may be better than expected, it's interesting to see how quickly hot takes are moved away from, and one good performance has some completely flipping on opinions they've held for most of the offseason.

The offensive line deserves their flowers, and perhaps they are more unison than the narrative suggests, but it was just one performance in a Week 1 game. We need to see consistent performances before declaring that the team is 100% ready to support Maye when not much else has changed from a concerned perspective.

More Patriots news and analysis: