The expectations for the Patriots this season weren’t incredibly high to begin with, but they seem to be hitting a new low.
While their first preseason game ended in a win, the team’s third overall pick, Drake Maye, played the least of any quarterback. That was followed by reports of an ugly joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday.
Patriots legend and three-time Super Bowl champ Devin McCourty joined The Greg Hill Show on Wednesday during the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon presented by Arbella Insurance and discussed the recent developments with this team.
“[Jerod Mayo]’s coaching in the New England area, so everyone's definitely going to have an opinion, but, I think to actually judge it, it's going to take time,” McCourty said.
“I think they’re still trying to figure things out.”
McCourty addressed concerns with the joint practice, where they allowed 14 sacks, saying that the team is “struggling to find the exact line to put in front” and later reiterated that fans should be patient with the Patriots.
“I think they’re still trying to get through certain things, [Mayo]’s making decisions, he’s figuring out his own path,” McCourty said.
“But, I said this back when he first took over, it’s going to take time for this team. This team has struggled the last few years, obviously last year being the worst year of it all. But the last few years hasn’t been, I would say, the prototypical New England Patriots teams that you’ve seen through years past.
“It’s definitely going to take more time than just the training camp.”
McCourty believed that Maye saw limited reps in the first preseason game because the team is preparing for Jacoby Brissett to start Week 1.
“I think Mayo has said it, right now they don’t see Drake Maye as the starter. So they’re trying to develop a team that’s going to have Jacoby at the helm, but also trying to develop the number one pick,” McCourty said.
Given recent examples, like Zach Wilson and Sam Darnold with the New York Jets, McCourty believes it’s the right choice not to go with Drake Maye when the team around him isn’t ready yet.
“I think we've seen throughout the NFL when you put the young quarterbacks in there right away, and it just, it doesn't go well, and then it gets worse and worse as the season goes on. Sometimes those guys never recover.
“You look at Sam Darnold, who's getting a second chance now, but he got on the field early with the Jets, the team wasn't good around him, the offensive line, weapons, and then it didn't work out, and he was seen as a bust.”
McCourty addressed the other major storyline of this training camp, Matthew Judon's contract situation.
“Overall, I think [Judon] had one bad day,” McCourty said.
Judon taking his frustration to social media was a completely alien experience in Patriot world, McCourty said, because of the tight control Bill Belichick had on his players.
“I think in New England, we're used to seeing Bill Belichick very strict on social media, strict on the media. But I think every guy is different, what they decide to do is what they decide to do,” McCourty said.
The Patriots will play their second preseason game at home Thursday night against the Philadelphia Eagles.