FOXBORO, Mass. — A lot happens when you cover the New England Patriots throughout the week.
You get at least three Jerod Mayo news conferences, a presser with the starting quarterback, multiple locker room availabilities, and access to a few practices. Some takeaways become individual stories, while other quotes and nuggets are left on the cutting room floor.
With that in mind, I’ll publish a Patriots notebook every Friday for the rest of the season. These pieces will mostly focus on top Patriots storylines and leftovers from each week but also will include a non-football thought or two — because I’m a dork who likes to talk about other stuff.
So, let’s get into it.
Is Starting Drake Maye a Decision Born Out of Desperation?
It sure feels like it.
After the Patriots’ Week 3 loss to the New York Jets, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt was asked whether it was better for Drake Maye to learn by playing or watching from the sideline.
“I still think it’s by watching,” Van Pelt said a day after Maye played one drive against the Jets. “I think there’s a lot to be learned yet, and that’s where I’ll stand on that.”
Just three weeks later, with New England sitting 1-4 and teetering on collapse, Maye is set for his first NFL start. The No. 3 overall pick will look to lead the Patriots to an upset of the ascending Houston Texans.
So, what changed?
On Thursday, Van Pelt was asked why it’s no longer best for Maye to watch from the sideline.
“I think it’s a combination of a couple of things, really — offensively, we’re not where we want to be from a production standpoint,” Van Pelt said. “That leads to some of that decision. And also the fact that we see his growth and development over the weeks of practice and what he’s put on the practice field. The two of those combined.
“We’re close –- a couple plays away from being 3-2 and feeling a lot better than where we are right now. Reality of it is we’re not, we’re 1-4. At this point, we have to find something to give us a chance to win on Sunday. We thought Drake’s development over the past first part of the season on the practice field that he was ready to step in and take over.”
And here’s how Mayo explained his decision to bench Brissett:
“I thought Jacoby — we say it all the time that it’s all about competition, every single position. I would say, as a coach — and I know the organization feels this way — we’re trying to win every game.
“At the time, we thought that Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out there and win games, protecting the football, really running the offense. With that being said, he was a warrior. As you guys know, he’s taken a lot of hits and just kept getting up.
“I would also say, for a guy like that to be voted as a captain in this situation and continue to be very supportive of Drake Maye, I tip my hat to Jacoby for having that egoless mentality. Going forward, I think now, Drake gives us the best chance to win now and going forward. He’s been getting better every single week, as I’ve said before.
“At the end of training camp, he actually was trending at a very high rate. That has continued through the early part of the season. So, it was solely my decision to make this choice. I had a conversation one-on-one with Jacoby. I had a conversation with Drake. We’re all on board.”
Drake Maye takes his first questions as the Patriots' starting quarterback pic.twitter.com/tDJq5sexnt
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 9, 2024
The Patriots are all over the place on this one. What they’re saying now about Maye doesn’t mesh with what they were saying mere weeks ago. Mayo says everyone is on the same page with the decision, but that’s hard to believe when you listen to Van Pelt.
Ultimately, I think the Maye decision is less complicated than it seems.
If Brissett were playing well and leading the Patriots to wins, Maye would continue to sit and work on the rough edges of his game. But Brissett’s play cratered over the last few weeks, and New England’s season now is spiraling out of control.
The Patriots apparently have decided the negatives — including damage to culture and morale — of playing Brissett and keeping the offense in the abyss outweigh the potential negatives of starting Maye a few weeks ahead of schedule.
Fans might be ready to punt on the season and tank for a high draft pick, but this isn’t a video game. Human beings are involved. There are big-picture repercussions of developing players in a losing culture. If Maye gives the team a boost and fuels a few wins, the Patriots will live with the inevitable bumps in the road.
But does that mean they’re making the right decision? I texted that question to a front office source from another team.
“I thought they’d wait,” the source said. “Sometimes you just have to be patient not to throw the young guys out too early ‘just because’ if it’s going to affect their confidence and development moving forward.”
While I think the Patriots put more thought than “just because” into their decision, it still feels like a move born out of desperation and pressure. They’re taking a big risk, albeit one that could pay off.
Jacoby Brissett’s Reaction
Brissett met with reporters on Thursday, and his disappointment over being benched was evident.
“I don’t think words can really describe how tough it is,” Brissett said.
Just observe his tone in this video:
Jacoby Brissett's first comments since being replaced by Drake Maye pic.twitter.com/ydJbkvrohU
— Dakota Randall (@DakRandall) October 10, 2024
You have to feel for Brissett, who was put in an impossible situation and now is being made a scapegoat. He was dealt a brutal hand but has carried himself with class.
Teammates lauded Brissett this week when asked about the QB change. Maye brought up his veteran counterpart repeatedly during his first news conference as the starting quarterback.
“You hate it for him,” Maye said. “Jacoby fought his but off.”
Drake Maye on Jacoby Brissett:
“You hate it for him.” @abc6 #nevshou #nepats pic.twitter.com/co69fml70k
— Ian Steele (@RealianSteele6) October 9, 2024
Christian Barmore Nearing Return?
Star defensive tackle Christian Barmore has been sidelined since being diagnosed with blood clots in late July. Multiple reports indicate he’ll sit the entire season as the Patriots exercise extreme caution with arguably their best player.
However, Barmore raised eyebrows Thursday evening with a vague post to the X platform.
⏳
— Christian Barmore (@chris_barmore) October 10, 2024
When asked about the post, Mayo gave his most substantive update since Barmore’s diagnosis.
“He’s progressing,” Mayo said. “He still has some checkpoints or hurdles to get over, but he’s progressing.”
Mayo was then asked whether he feels better about Barmore’s chances of playing this season than he did a few weeks ago.
I would say yes,” Mayo said.
Mayo’s update jives with what reporters have seen in the locker room. Barmore has dressed and carried himself like someone doing some level of physical activity behind the scenes.
If you walked into the locker room and saw Barmore, you wouldn’t think anything was wrong. That’s a good thing, regardless of his return timeline.
Don’t Sleep on Vederian Lowe
Go ahead, get your laughs out of the way.
Patriots fans love to hate on Vederian Lowe. He’s become the poster child for New England’s dysfunctional offensive line the last two seasons. And, yes, he’s had some rough games.
But the reality of Lowe is incongruent with the narrative. In fact, he’s been mostly solid since late last season, and fans should be rooting for his success — for multiple reasons.
Lowe saw significant snaps, including three starts, in the final four weeks of last season, and he played well in three of those games. He carried the success into the offseason and, after an encouraging training camp, appeared primed to begin the season as the Patriots’ starting left tackle.
But a late-summer oblique injury halted Lowe’s momentum. He played in the season opener after Chukwuma Okorafor was benched, but Lowe performed like someone who hadn’t practiced in two weeks. He was somewhat better in Week 2 but suffered a knee injury that forced him to miss the next two games.
Finally back to full strength, Lowe started last Sunday against the Miami Dolphins and played arguably the best game of his career.
Lowe posted the best Pro Football Focus offense grade (69.5) and pass-blocking grade (90.5) of his career. His pass-blocking grade was tied for the highest among all offensive tackles in Week 5, and his zero QB pressures allowed were the fewest in any of his 10 NFL starts.
Vederian Lowe in Week 5:
🔷 90.5 pass-blocking grade (T-1st among OTs)
🔷 37 pass-blocking snaps
🔷 0 pressures allowed pic.twitter.com/gbDxbzAUhN— PFF NE Patriots (@PFF_Patriots) October 8, 2024
While speaking with Pro Football Network on Wednesday, Lowe agreed that last Sunday was his best game.
“It was one of my first games I’ve had that I felt like I played the game my way,” Lowe said. “I felt like I was in control. … It felt great.”
Lowe feels like he’s regained the momentum he lost after the late-camp injury. He also believes there was a silver lining to his missed time.
“The oblique definitely was a setback,” Lowe said. “I feel like, when I was hurt with my knee injury, I actually had a lot of time to self-scout myself. I feel like in [Week 2], I gave up a lot of pressures that were completely unwarranted … just all on me.
” … Just figuring out ways I can fix my technique in my pass [protection]. I really took that time to figure that out, and I feel like I was able to apply some of those things to [the Dolphins game].”
Lowe hears the outside noise. He knows Patriots fans are eager for a long-term solution at left tackle, but he also wants to claim that job for himself.
“You try to block out everything,” he said. “You just try to keep your head down, and that’s what I made sure I did. … People just want to see the team start to ascend.
” … I’m just trying to go out there and prove to myself, and write my own story, on the type of player I am and the way I want my career to go, and the rest will take care of itself. But I do appreciate the organization and coaches for showing faith in me.”
Lowe isn’t the only Patriots tackle who turned heads last weekend. Demontrey Jacobs, a late-summer waiver claim, also showed promise in his first start at right tackle.
With protecting Maye a top priority, Van Pelt is optimistic about New England’s new tackle duo.
“I feel strong about them,” Van Pelt said Thursday. “I think Vederian is playing at a high level. He’s probably our best pass blocker on that edge. Did a really good job. I thought protection was better as the game [against Miami] went on.
“Got a couple struggles early, but we’re doing better things. And of course, [Jacobs], when he gets over there, he’s going to continue to improve, going from left to right in his second start. A couple schematic errors, but really cleaned that up as the game went on. Really encouraged about the edges.”
I’m definitely getting ahead of myself, but Lowe developing into a serviceable tackle — not great, just serviceable — would be a huge deal for the Patriots.
If the NFL Draft were held next week, New England likely would use its first pick on a franchise left tackle. The Patriots then would address their receiver need in Round 2 or package picks to move back into Round 1.
But what if they could flip that plan?
If New England has a left tackle it feels comfortable with, they could use their first pick on an elite receiver prospect like Travis Hunter. The Patriots then could use their Round 2 pick on a high-upside tackle that might not be a Day 1 starter, or they could trade back into Round 1 for a cleaner prospect.
But that strategy can only be enacted if the Patriots have a good fallback plan at left tackle. And with quality left tackles rarely available in free agency or on the trade market, New England might need to hitch its wagon to an internal option like Lowe.
OK, you can resume laughing.
Brenden Schooler on Defense?
Brenden Schooler is one of the best special teamers in football, as evidenced by the three-year, $9 million contract extension he received Friday.
Schooler played safety at Oregon and Texas, but in a perfect world, the Patriots never would have to play him on defense in an NFL game.
However, with Kyle Dugger nursing an ankle injury and Jabrill Peppers on the commissioner’s exempt list after last weekend’s arrest, the Patriots might be one injury away from giving Schooler snaps at safety.
The good news is they’ve prepared for this.
Schooler saw scout-team safety reps during his first two seasons, but his defensive workload increased during minicamp and training camp. Defensive coordinator DeMarcus Covington is confident Schooler could deliver if called upon.
“We started that this spring,” Covington said of giving Schooler more defensive responsibilities. “Sitting in all the defensive meetings, getting reps — you saw him out there in the preseason. … So, he’s built up reps for us.
“Obviously, this is a guy we all know that can run and can tackle. So, if you can do that, sign him up for defense, too. He stays on top of the game plan every week. He’s a true professional. Knowing that his God-given ability is special teams — he’ll be ready if we need him to play in a game; I know that for a fact.
“I thought that was good for him getting and gaining the reps with his teammates starting back in the spring, and then also getting them in a game during training camp.”
Schooler believes he could hold his own if forced to play in a game.
“I think just with banking a lot of reps in the springtime and in training camp, it’s helped me be way more comfortable with the defensive scheme and what we’re doing from week to week,” Schooler told PFN on Thursday.
” … Keeping those mental notes sharp in case the situation that we’re in right now with guys being hurt and whatnot, if I ever did have to go into the game, I would feel comfortable, and I’d be able to operate.”
Schooler added: “Now, it’s not probably gonna be as detailed as some of the other guys, but I could go in there if need be and be able to fly around, and make calls, and check calls, and make plays, and do whatever I can do to help the team win.”
Obviously, Schooler isn’t rooting for a teammate to suffer an injury. Still, he’d love the chance to prove himself on defense.
“It’s something that I’m never gonna shy away from,” he said. “If the opportunity presented itself, I’d try to take full advantage of it.”
During training camp, Mayo said he wanted Schooler to offer value on defense, not just on special teams — representing a departure from Bill Belichick. Schooler embraced the challenge.
“With Coach Mayo being at the helm of the ship, we’re obviously going to be a little bit different than the other regime,” Schooler said. “We did have that conversation where he told me, ‘There’s gonna be less of [special teams] meetings, and you’re gonna be more in the defensive meetings.’
“It was just transparency. … I think it’s helped tremendously with me being able to expand my knowledge of the defensive playbook. If a situation came up, I would be able to go in there, and they’d be able to trust me and I’d be able to trust myself.”
Daniel Ekuale Answering the Bell
Defensive tackle Daniel Ekuale mostly worked as a sub-rusher on passing downs for the first five seasons of his career. But after Barmore’s blood-clot diagnosis, Ekuale was challenged to fill the void on earlier downs and to step up against the run.
“S**t or get off the pot, right?” Patriots D-line coach Jerry Montgomery told PFN before Week 1. “It’s his time to shine, so take advantage of that opportunity. He’s been in the league for a while now, and he’s done a good job for us in the spring and training camp. So, now it’s time to go do it in a game.”
For the most part, Ekuale did his job well in the first four weeks. He wasn’t Barmore, but he was good enough that New England didn’t need to search for an immediate replacement.
However, Ekuale took his game to another level last Sunday. While playing 54 snaps (tying a career-high), he posted one sack, two QB pressures, five total defensive stops, and a career-best nine tackles, per TruMedia. Ekuale played well against the run, brought pressure, and handled a big workload.
“I definitely feel like he had his best game last week,” Montgomery told PFN on Thursday. “Played consistently, played physical, got off blocks, was disruptive, pushed the pocket. That’s what I expect of him all the time, to play to that standard. And he played his best ball, which is awesome.
“Now, this week, we’ve gotta have the same thing. And so, that’s just the standard we hold those guys accountable to. If you hold this on film once, we need to have it more consistently.”
Daniel Ekuale had a career game vs the Dolphins, a performance DL coach Jerry Montgomery said he'll now expect consistently
Ekuale showed recognition and quickness to beat blocks early, brought some rush on early downs, and continues to be stout 1v1 + play with great effort pic.twitter.com/uec9ORF3bo
— Taylor Kyles (@tkyles39) October 11, 2024
Non-Football Thought No. 1: Northern Lights!
People across the northern United States were treated to a rare sight on Thursday night when the aurora borealis lit up the skies. Personally, after seeing a pink wave above my house in Rhode Island, I jumped into my car and rushed to a location with less light pollution, only for the northern lights to fade away by the time I got there. Oh well.
I won’t try to explain why the northern lights happen or why regions like New England have been treated to two incredible aurora showings in five months. Instead, I’ll shamelessly plug my wife, who’s a meteorologist for WJAR-TV in Providence, R.I.
The #NorthernLights or #AuroraBorealis triggered quite a show across the United States last night. What do the colors mean?@NBC10 @natwxdesk pic.twitter.com/Et3qcl4bDb
— Christina Erne (@ChristinaErne) October 11, 2024
Non-Football Thought No. 2: Song of the Week
The pick this week is “Space Race” by Geese, the best new rock band you haven’t heard of.
Geese wears their Led Zeppelin and Jim Morrison influences on their sleeves while painting their music with a modern twist, giving them a sound all their own. Their sophomore album, “3D Country”, has the DGAF factor that any good punk album should but also was crafted with meticulous intent.
If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if Zeppelin, The Doors, Phish, and The Strokes were thrown into a blender, give Geese a listen.
