Drake Maye sends message to Jacoby Brissett as Patriots quarterback debate heats up

Drake Maye made his first appearance of the season in the New England Patriots' 24-3 defeat to the New York Jets - and the quarterback is confident he can start if called upon

Drake Maye believes he's primed to take over as the New England Patriots' starting quarterback after Jacoby Brissett's removal during Thursday's defeat to the New York Jets.

Kickstarting his regular-season career in the Pats' 24-3 loss to their AFC East adversaries, rookie quarterback Maye, 22, took over from Brissett in the final stretch of the fourth quarter after the seasoned player faced a tough onslaught from the Jets defense.

By the time Maye came on with less than five minutes left, the game's outcome was already sealed. The University of North Carolina graduate completed four of eight passes for 22 yards and ran for another 12, enduring five hits and two sacks in the process.

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Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo hasn't dismissed the possibility of a quarterback switch after a 1-2 start to the season, and Maye is ready to lead if given the nod. Nonetheless, he had nothing but praise for Brissett, acknowledging his perseverance and quality throws within the difficult matchup as the Jets, led by Aaron Rodgers, comfortably won.

"That's what I'm doing week in, week out, being ready when my name is called and going out there to try to make some plays. I've been preparing like I'm the starter," Maye said in the locker room. "At the same time, I've been there for Jacoby. He battled tonight, kept on getting up every time, jogging off and encouraging the guys.

"He made some great throws tonight. It speaks volumes. It's tough in that scenario and I've been through few of those in my career in college when you're getting beat up and just keep getting up and jogging off to the sideline. He does a great job, he's a great teammate and that's the No. 1 thing about Jacoby. He's a great leader."

The Pats have been careful with Maye's development since drafting him, aware that rushing him behind a weak offensive line could be detrimental. After observing from the sidelines for the first two games, Maye was eager to get on the pitch.

"You don't want to be out there for the first time in a blowout loss, but at the same time I just wanted to get out there and try to make some plays and have some fun, he said. "I felt a little nervous going out there, but what a night with the crowd and the atmosphere to get my first game under my belt."

Maye had mixed feelings about his brief appearance. He added: "Can't take stupid sacks. We're trying to get the ball out, and you can't take sacks in that situation. At the same time, we got some first downs and moved the chains, made some plays with my feet and hit [DeMario Douglas] over the middle. So we got some good things to look at, at the same time."