New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye left with a concussion during Sunday’s game against the New York Jets, the team announced. Jacoby Brissett, who started the first five games of the season for New England, took over at quarterback.
Maye took a shot to the head on an 18-yard scramble late in the first quarter. He remained in the game to complete the drive but went into the blue medical tent after the team punted on the drive. Maye was walked off the field by training staff and taken into the locker room.
Maye has been the sole source of offense for the Patriots through just over one quarter against the Jets. The rookie quarterback led the team with 46 rushing yards at halftime and scored his first career rushing touchdown to give the Patriots an early 7-0 lead. Maye also completed three of his first six passes for 23 yards.
Maye provides Patriots offense spark
Maye had given the Patriots everything they hoped in his three starts.
He wasn’t given much help behind a bad offensive line with struggling wide receivers, but Maye gave the offense a chance to move the ball in different ways, as evidenced by his 17-yard touchdown early on Sunday. His numbers weren’t always great, but his receivers also dropped multiple passes, including a costly one on a third-and-long by Kayshon Boutte on Sunday.
However, Maye’s injury also highlighted one of the dangers of a dual-threat quarterback. Without him, the Patriots now turn to Brissett.
We’ve seen how this will (likely) go. Brissett started the first five games of the season for the Patriots and the team had the second-worst offense in the league, only ahead of the Cleveland Browns.
This season hadn’t delivered much optimism for Patriots fans, but the lone area for true hope was the way that Maye played the first two-plus games. Now that reason for faith is dampened, at least temporarily. — Chad Graff, Patriots beat reporter
(Photo: Adam Glanzman / Getty Images)
