Patriots won't have top offensive playmaker for Drake Maye's debut

The Patriots already had one of the NFL's least dynamic offenses that was short on playmakers, and Stevenson is probably the closest thing they had to an impact player. Through the first five games of the season, he has rushed for 356 yards and three touchdowns, averaging 4.6 yards per carry.

Combined with a weak offensive line that has been rotating starters and the lack of big-play wide receivers in the passing game, the absence of Stevenson is going to leave Maye in a tough situation and make his first start a daunting task.

Along with the undermanned offense, he also has to go against one of the NFL's best teams — and an outstanding defense — in Houston. 

The Patriots were trying to be patient in Maye's development, starting veteran Jacoby Brissett for the first five games. With the team now 1-4 and showing no signs of improvement on offense, they decided to put Maye into the lineup. He is going to have quite a challenge to fix this.