Patriots Fans Must Purge Mac Jones Nightmares With Drake Maye

Patriots fans were in a frenzy when they learned Drake Maye reportedly will start this Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Head coach Jerod Mayo and his staff reportedly planned on making this move at some point this season, and the decision to start the 2024 first-round pick was not influenced by last Sunday’s embarrassing loss to the Miami Dolphins.

It still was a perplexing decision since the Patriots are among the league’s worst in pressure given up, and they’ll face a Texans team that is among the league leaders in pressure created. Mayo and his staff will ask a lot out of Maye, but they seemingly believe he can unlock something from an anemic offense.

The reported decision was lambasted by fans and media. The 1-4 Patriots had all the time in the world and starting Maye against a Super Bowl contender seemed like a hasty decision. There aren’t any issues with that argument, but fans did go overboard when comparing the situation to Mac Jones.

Jones became a controversial figure in New England in his final season. Some fans felt bad for the Alabama product and thought Bill Belichick and the organization let him down. Others felt the 2021 first-round pick was never good and had only himself to blame for his erratic play.

Why are people comparing Maye to Jones? Well, the fear in starting Maye this Sunday is that he’ll take a beating that will harm his development and force him into bad habits. Instead of playing to the rhythm of the offense, there’s concern the 22-year-old will be running for his life trying to make off-platform plays. This is what harmed Bryce Young and stunted his growth with the Carolina Panthers.

However, what if people were just wrong on Jones and Young? When the former Crimson Tide quarterbacks entered the 2021 and 2023 drafts, respectively, there were considerable red flags that proved true in the NFL. Jones was flagged for playing poorly under pressure and not having the poise of an NFL starter. Those issues not only were with the Patriots but also his cameo appearance with the Jacksonville Jaguars this season. Young’s size was a major concern and was something he couldn’t overcome in the NFL.

Maye’s profile was the complete opposite. The North Carolina product was touted for his big arm and ability to make highlight throws under pressure. The issues came on the mental level — reading coverages and going through progressions. He’s improved at that in practice with multiple coaches and players raving about his talent.

When it came to leadership, Jones didn’t pass the test. He reportedly was mocked and vilified for his false bravado. Bailey Zappe reportedly earned higher praise than him from the locker room. Fans haven’t seen or heard anything close to that about Maye. The rookie’s been praised for being a sponge and learning as much as he can. The confidence he displayed in public felt more legit than the façade Jones tried to display as the Tom Brady successor he hoped to be.

Will Maye make mistakes this Sunday? He probably will. But Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels also made mistakes in their first starts, and both quickly proved why they were picked No. 1 and No. 2 this year, respectively. If Maye truly has the mental toughness that he’s exerted, there should be no fears of him being “Mac Jones 2.0.”