Congratulations, reader! Should you be consuming this on its date of publication - Sunday Sept. 1, 2024 - then this is the last Sunday of the year without NFL football. You made it. And while expectations for our local squad may not be so great (to put it mildly), knowing that your favorite sport will be there to keep you company every weekend for the rest of the calendar year should be of some comfort, right? Small victories, my friends. Small victories.
This can be a hectic time of the year, with the end of summer, back to school, the return of football, nonstop carpooling kids to games and more, so we’re more than happy to help get you the news and notes you need about your Patriots in one convenient location. And if you didn’t happen to hear…
1 - The world’s best worst-kept secret became official this week when Jerod Mayo announced that Jacoby Brissett would be the Patriots’ starting quarterback this season. Not just Week 1, but for the 2024 season (more on that in a bit). Pretty much everyone knew this would be the case before Mayo made the news official. Actually, the news was leaked or slipped out almost a half hour before Mayo’s second presser of the week, understandably frustrating many in the local media.
When the news finally broke Mayo, who teased the decision at a Wednesday presser only to make the final reveal Thursday, said he wanted to alert his players first and speak with all of them, especially Drake Maye. Though many would like to see Maye take the field sooner than later, Mayo did emphasize that, “As an organization we’re one hundred percent behind Jacoby. There is no…you got a guy right here, you got a guy right there.”
Translated roughly, that means barring injury or unacceptably poor performance, Brissett could well start the entire season for the Pats. While Mayo himself admitted that Maye outplayed Brissett in the preseason, there were a number of determining factors that led the first-year head coach to stick with “the plan” and not just make a reactionary decision based on “the competition.”
This news may be disappointing for many, from Maye and his family to many of the Foxboro Faithful who are looking forward to seeing their new guy, who flashed at times in the preseason, take the reins and bring the future into the present for the Pats. Many, from fans to media, from analysts to former players, believe that while not the sexiest or most fun decision for Mayo and the Pats, that it’s ultimately the best for Maye, whose development is hands-down Priority One for the Pats. After last Sunday’s 20-10 loss in the preseason finale to the Washington Commanders, ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky said it would be “criminal” to start Maye behind their current offensive line.
Yes, this is the same Dan Orlovsky who said at first Maye should sit two years, then after seeing him in action insisted he get more reps. Some might say the media is almost as all over the place as the team and their coach, which can happen when everyone is learning on the fly. When you boil it all down, what it seems the Pats are doing is taking the most cautious approach with their presumed QB of the future. He just turned 22 on Friday. He only played two full seasons of college football at UNC. He’s learning the pro game, adapting to its nuances, speed and ferocity. Oh, and he doesn’t need to be in mortal peril every play behind an offensive line that committed as many penalties as the team scored points last Sunday. Of all the reasons why Maye should be carrying a clipboard and wearing a headset in Cincinnati or for most of the season, that could be paramount to whatever else he learns. And learn he will.
Another interesting if not salient case for why Brissett should be the starter and might well be the best-case scenario starter in place of Maye was made this past week by QB coach and former NFL player Jordan Palmer (brother of Carson), who outlined how Brissett’s track record and journey may provide the ideal mentorship for Maye.
While two QBs drafted in front of Maye - Chicago’s Caleb Williams and Washington’s Jayden Daniels - and one taken shortly after him in Denver’s Bo Nix, will be their respective team’s Week 1 starters, the case can be made that while none of those rosters are Super Bowl-ready, their situations are more stable than that in New England. The Pats are doing more than just prepping to flip the QB spot. Much more.
Playing QB in the NFL is the toughest gig in all of professional American sports. While an anxiousness to pump some excitement, energy and above all hope back into the stadium and fanbase is needed, so is the time to ensure offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and crew have given Maye every lesson, plan, drill and opportunity to learn and grow, so that when his name is called and it’s his time to shine he does just that.
Until then…Brissett has a tremendous opportunity in front of him. With the lowest of expectations he returns to where his pro career began, becoming just the sixth QB to start a season for the New England Patriots this century. How long he lasts remains to be seen.
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2 - Another reason Patriots fans should be excited for whenever Maye takes the field is his poise. Not just when the pocket is collapsing and he makes a nifty sidearm throw or darts up the gut for a first down (both of which we saw in the preseason finale vs. Washington). But also his composure in the face of a media scrum, and most importantly the disappointment of not being anointed the Week 1 starter, stood out as veritably veteran-esque to many.
Maye said all the right things during his five-plus-minute avail, offering that he’ll do whatever to support Brissett, help the team win, coach up the receivers and linemen…a dream response in the eyes and ears of his coach, coordinators and GM. Not getting the nod under center in Cincy, and potentially all season, is the first true adversity of Maye’s young professional career. You’d have to think Mayo and company see him passing this test, which could be part of “the plan,” with flying colors.
When Maye was drafted one of the elements to his personality and game that Eliot Wolf said he was drawn to was not his arm strength or running ability, but rather his owning up to mistakes and how he dissected losses and took responsibility for it all. Maye is proving now like he did in interviews to be mature beyond his tender age. And maybe now being protected from himself, or that line, or the Jets pass rush, will be something else he’ll learn from as he adapts to the nature and pressures and intensity of the pro game in all aspects. Not to mention the ravenous Boston sports media.
3 - As we saw this week once the Pats cut their team down initially to 53 players, the roster is in constant flux as the next day four more players were released, with four more picked up, two being tackles to address the truly offensive offensive line.
Both Demontrey Jacobs and Zachary Thomas were released by AFC West teams (the Broncos and Chiefs, respectively) and immediately scooped up by the Pats. Some will say these moves, which both Mayo and Wolf foreshadowed weeks back, are the 2024 sequel to trading for Vederian Lowe and Tyrone Wheatley, Jr. last preseason. There could be validity to that as it’s hard to imagine two young castoff tackles coming in and making an immediate impact, though with this line anything good or bad is possible. Jacobs and Thomas will need some time to get acclimated before they can try to compete for time, though outside of David Andrews and Mike Onwenu an argument could be made that three line spots are still up for grabs.
The main takeaways here are that in over a year’s time, across two regimes, the Pats have not been able to shore up their O-line, or Woe Line as it is coming to be known as, and the team is willing to do just about anything to fix or improve it, save for use a high draft pick on a premium collegiate tackle prospect. But those guards!
The other takeaway is that we should expect more of this all season long, and not just at the tackle spot. Patriots management has told us through their actions and occasionally words that this is a long look-see development year, and the roster will be in constant flux as they look to find the best players to set their foundation around. You have multiple rookie and second year receivers who could pop or bust, players on the PUP, talent with pro experience on the practice squad and a number of players clinging to roster spots who might not have made other NFL rosters and need to prove themselves quickly.
Doesn’t seem like Mayo, Wolf and company will be shy about making moves all season. And don’t be surprised if the Patriots are up in the league leaders in roster transactions and waiver claims this season. This is what a rebuild looks like, fans.
4 - With all eight 2024 rookie draft picks making the roster you might assume that these Patriots have one of, if not the youngest roster in the league. So it comes as a bit of a surprise to see they sit right smack in the middle of average roster age, 16th out of 32 teams, with an average age of 26.06 years (the playoff favorite Green Bay Packers have the youngest team at 24.96 years). The core of veterans the Patriots re-signed in the offseason likely boosted their overall age on a team most see as one of the younger. And for what it’s worth, those players were kept to give some veteran stability around the younger players, not just because they’re all amazing and to showcase Bill Belichick’s draft skills. Be pretty tough for anyone to shine if the entire team was all rookies and second year guys.
Keep in mind…with the team expected to finish in the lower half of the league (it’s early, we’re being kind), the team will likely import several more young high-end prospects next spring, only further lowering their overall age. So when people say the youth movement is on in Foxboro…
5 - Getting younger players to come to Foxboro via the draft, trade or sheer opportunity won’t be a problem. Getting quality veterans to sign deals to come to Foxboro could prove to be a different, more difficult issue. The latest example being San Francisco star receiver Brandon Aiyuk, who just inked a four-year, $120 million extension with the 49ers, making him one of the top paid receivers in the league. This deal comes after months of protracted, at times acrimonious negotiations, near deals to other teams (notably New England and Pittsburgh) and media negotiations. In the end Aiyuk got his money and gets to remain with a team many consider a Super Bowl contender yet again, so wins all-around. The teams that tried to trade for him? Not so much.
Aiyuk represented the latest whiff by the Pats in trying to lure a star receiver to Foxboro. Last offseason they missed out on DeAndre Hopkins, who chose to play for the Titans, the same team they lost out to for receiver Calvin Ridley this spring, and now Aiyuk refused their trade offer and salary proposal (believed to have been $32 million per season) as well.
These swings and misses show us their desire to attract top tier talent, as well as the need to lay that foundation they’ve been speaking of this year, so free agents and trade targets know what kind of team they’d be coming to. Right now New England represents so much unknown with a rookie coach, first year OC and DC, and a rookie QB in-waiting on the sidelines.
A successful season that showcases toughness, savvy and some hard fought wins could change how those outside the team feel about joining the organization. If poor play and dysfunction reign supreme and more turnover ensues, then the Pats will have just as hard if not a harder time convincing elite players to come to Foxboro, hence why a season where nobody is picking the Pats to make the playoffs is so important.
6 - The man in charge who some say left the Pats with a subpar roster (a reality mitigated by memories of the Super Bowl trophies) couldn’t be having a better season away from the sidelines, and now he’s adding to his overstuffed media portfolio. Pretty funny that someone who seemed to revile the media so much during his coaching days in New England will now dominate it this season.
Bill Belichick, who’s already committed to several TV and streaming football analysis programs this fall, announced he’s adding to his lineup with a new show on ESPN, co-hosted by once rival now bestie Peyton Manning called “The Breakdown.” Manning and Belichick will preview an upcoming NFL game, likely a Monday Night Football game (and ESPN broadcast), which also will often feature Belichick joining Peyton and brother Eli on “The ManningCast” on ESPN2. That of course follows Bill making his weekly Monday appearance on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” not to mention his thoughts on the “Let’s Go! Podcast” alongside Jim Grey and Maxx Crosby, where Bill replaces, of all people, Tom Brady.
Oh, and if you thought that was more than enough Belichick breaking down football you were wrong as he’ll be appearing on the new Underdog Fantasy web series “Coach,” not to mention Friday nights as the newest cast member with Ryan Clark, Chad Ochocinco and Chris Long on The CW’s “Inside the NFL.” How’s that for a football talk dance card?
In his series debut, Belichick's castmates spoke to their appreciation of him as a coach and why they were excited to work with him now. Later in the episode Belichick, in a segment dedicated to his experiences, groused about how opening night Super Bowl celebrations irritated him. It was very…Belichick. He seems comfortable already.
This, along with game-planning to stop elite offenses and waxing poetic about days of gridiron old, is what Belichick is the best at. He will likely flourish in his career rehab football chatting role(s) this fall, though it does appear as if Belchick Oversaturation SZN could be at hand. And by the time he guest judges the new season of “Dancing With The Stars,” samples road food with Guy Fieri on “Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” and replaces Al Roker on weather for “The Today Show” and…
We jest on the last three…but it’s wild to see how much he added to his on-camera plate. We knew how good he was at this after his work on the NFL Top 10 Players show a few years back, but this is outrageous. He'll be busier than when he would gameplan for Super Bowls. Many of these will likely be bookmarked and reviewed by players and coaches and fans across the league. Lucky us to have so much insight after not being able to pry anything out of him for two decades plus in New England.
7 - With the season less than a week away, the official kickoff game Thursday night in Kansas City between the Ravens and the Chiefs, and the second game of the season Friday night from Brazil featuring the Packers and Eagles, there’s almost too much going on to just pick one final note, so why not end with a quick notebook of nuggets.
**Jacoby Brissett hopes to make progress for the Pats this fall, but he already has for the league. Aside from Brissett being the sixth opening day starter of the century for the Pats, he’ll be the 15th black quarterback to start this coming Sunday in the NFL. Pretty momentous considering how few signal callers of color or a diverse background there were just a few short years ago.
**Tom Brady is set to make his debut as the lead color analyst for the NFL on FOX come Sunday, Sept. 8 with the Cowboys visiting the Browns at 4:25 p.m. Brady, who’s been rehearsing and preparing for his new role for months, may actually be what many hoped he wouldn’t be in his new gig: compromised. Seems since he has a bid in to be a part owner of the Las Vegas Raiders he won’t be allowed to visit certain aspects of facilities and comment on certain elements of the NFL, including referees. One can’t help but wonder if this new restriction will lead Brady to change his mind on the ownership opportunity. Not going full bore with his thoughts in the booth is one of the fears many had about him taking over for two-time Emmy winner Greg Olsen on FOX.
**And last but not least…from the “Art Imitates And Maybe Influences Life” department…it appears as though Kansas City Chiefs superfan Taylor Swift is getting more involved with her paramour’s team this season, beyond traveling halfway around the world to see podcast superstar Travis Kelce play.
You read that right…Taylor Swift has been working on some new plays for the Chiefs and QB Patrick Mahomes said they may have to get one in the playbook this season. Must be fun for her to kill time on the road scheming how to get Xavier Worthy open on a pass play. Can only imagine Andy Reid’s reaction to the suggestion…or the songs to come from the play’s eventual success or failure. You just can’t make this stuff up.