Patriots HC explains Jacoby Brissett decision amid Drake Maye rumors

Days after the New England Patriots suffered a brutal 24-3 loss at the New York Jets to fall to 1-2 on the season, Patriots/NFL insider Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated mentioned that rookie Drake Maye could replace veteran Jacoby Brissett as New England's starting quarterback "relatively soon." 

During a Monday appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," first-year Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo explained why he's sticking with Brissett through at least the beginning of this coming Sunday's game at the 1-2 San Francisco 49ers.

"I couldn’t sleep, so I watched all the film — all three phases through the wee hours of the morning," Mayo said about the Jets loss, as shared by Tom Carroll of Audacy. "And after watching the film, I still feel Jacoby gives us the best chance to win football games, and we’re 100% behind that decision." 

The Patriots' passing attack with Brissett in the lineup produced lackluster numbers across the season's first two games before he completed 12-of-18 passes for 98 yards with no touchdowns, no interceptions and five sacks taken in the blowout defeat at MetLife Stadium. According to Pro Football Reference, Brissett began Monday ranked 31st in the NFL among qualified players with an average of 122.7 passing yards per game on the campaign. He tossed only one touchdown pass over his first three starts. 

Even before Breer offered his latest update on the situation, some fans wondered if Mayo could turn to Maye for the Week 5 home game against the Miami Dolphins (1-2) on Oct. 6. During Monday's radio appearance, Mayo sounded like a coach focused on getting Brissett ready to play at San Francisco's Levi's Stadium.

"Jacoby’s our quarterback," Mayo added. "I don’t want to really deal with the hypotheticals. But I will say every position is a competition. And once again, I just think Jacoby gives us our best chance." 

As of Monday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Patriots as 10.5-point underdogs against the 49ers. If that game gets as ugly as some clearly expect, Mayo could feel that he has to play Maye against a Miami team without its first-choice quarterback to prevent a locker-room mutiny from arising before Halloween.