Five Ways Patriots Helped Soften Landing For Drake Maye

Drake Maye will make his first career NFL start this Sunday, but the Patriots were panned for the timing of the decision.

New England benched Jacoby Brissett after a 1-4 start and will turn to Maye to help right the ship. Fans and media believe this was a hasty move from the organization and don’t understand what the rush was. The Patriots have one of the worst supporting casts in the NFL, and there’s fear Maye’s development could be stunted.

However, those could be overreactions. Players and coaches raved about Maye’s progress in practice, and there’s an argument to be made that it’s better for a player to actually step onto the field rather than stand on the sideline and learn from afar.

The state of New England’s offensive line and receiving corps is rough, but the first five weeks of the season might have been a foundation to help ease the rookie into his first career start.

Homefield Advantage
The Houston Texans roll into Gillette Stadium after a gutsy win over the Buffalo Bills. They’ll also be without their top wide receiver and possibly Joe Mixon. Maye can ease into his first start with the home crowd on his side, and he can ride the momentum of the fans when he completes his first downfield pass.

Offensive Line Continuity
New England’s offensive line needed patching up after the unit suffered multiple injuries to start the season, including David Andrews. But the important thing for an offensive line is continuity. New England is starting the same group in Week 6 as it did in Week 5, the first time this season. The Washington Commanders also projected to have one of the worst offensive lines in the league, but they’ve had a consistent unit that’s looked better with Jayden Daniels under center. If Maye proves to be just as good or better than Daniels, then having consistency with the offensive line will prove to go a long way.

Strength Of Schedule
With the exception of their season-opener, the Patriots went through a gauntlet of tough defenses. Brissett took brutal shots, and the offense’s struggles were magnified going up against elite defenses. The Texans also are among the best defenses in the league, but New England gets the Jacksonville Jaguars in London next week then the Tennessee Titans in Week 9, so things could look up for the offense after getting through Houston.

Timely Returns
Kendrick Bourne returned last Sunday and seemed to be on the slow path from his ACL recovery with one catch for six yards. The veteran still should be a safety blanket for Maye since Bourne is a proven target earner and one of the few pass-catchers who can create separation. Cole Strange also could return this season, and he’d be a huge help to the offensive line.

Potential Breakouts
Ja’Lynn Polk slowly worked his way into more playing time on the offense. The rookie wide receiver played 100% of snaps in Week 5, and while he caught a tough break on his potential go-ahead touchdown, he’s earned six or more targets in the last two games. Maye and Polk built a solid connection in training camp and in the preseason, and if you’re in a fantasy league with deep benches, Polk is a worthy stash as someone whose production could increase and help Maye.