FOXBORO, Mass. — Jerod Mayo was nervous about holding New England Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye behind heart with the second-string offensive line.
Mayo kind of admitted it performed a job in why Maye was restricted to 6 performs in New England’s 17-3 victory at Gillette Stadium on Thursday evening. Maye noticed all six of these performs behind what figures to be New England’s beginning offensive line, although that group struggled itself.
When requested if there was any “trepidation” having Maye play behind the second offensive line, the first-year head coach stated it was a consideration.
“If he is in there, you need him in there with the beginning offensive line,” Mayo stated after the sport. “We have to guard the man. Not saying we do not have to guard the opposite guys, however that completely did go into it.”
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Maye spent 11 coaching camp practices behind the second offensive line. On Thursday evening, that group consisted of, from left to proper, rookie Caedan Wallace, Michael Jordan, Nick Leverett, rookie Layden Robinson and Calvin Anderson.
The second-stringers routinely failed to guard Maye in coaching camp follow, however Mayo and firm did not have to fret as a lot given the quarterback was by no means touched. That would not have been the case within the preseason opener.
Mayo’s reasoning makes loads of sense. Why put the participant you hope will develop into your franchise quarterback in a doubtlessly bushy state of affairs throughout a meaningless preseason recreation? That is truthful.
Nevertheless it’s nonetheless fairly troubling.
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In spite of everything, it is a creating rookie quarterback you wish to, properly, develop. The extra stay reps the higher, proper? The Patriots cannot function like that as a result of their very own offensive weaknesses.
As an alternative, Bailey Zappe, who was sacked twice and really properly may not be on the workforce on the finish of the month, performed two full quarters. Zappe noticed the stay bullets. Would not that really feel like a wasted alternative?
“Like I stated, that is the primary preseason recreation,” Mayo stated. “We nonetheless have two left. He’ll have loads of alternatives to go in opposition to different groups, the 2 different groups earlier than the common season.”
Whereas talking after the sport, Maye stated what you’ll anticipate him to. He pointed to the quantity of reps he will get in follow, which rival beginning quarterback Jacoby Brissett, and believes these follow reps finally will him translate in recreation conditions.
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“I am simply making an attempt to take all of the reps I can get, that I get, and profit from them,” Maye stated.
Sadly for Maye, the Patriots have an offensive line that scares them.
