Patriots OTA observations: Drake Maye starts slow, finishes strong

Patriots OTA observations: Drake Maye starts slow, finishes strong originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

“We're playing real football now.”

Those were some of the first comments coach Jerrod Mayo made to reporters during the New England Patriots' team activity session outside Gillette Stadium on Wednesday. The Patriots have already conducted three official OTAs, but with three consecutive sessions Wednesday through Friday they can make real progress in preparing for the 2024 season.

So what happened in the first of those three sessions? How were the quarterback practices split up between veteran Jacoby Brissett, incumbent backup Bailey Zappe and rookie Drake Maye, and how did each QB perform in practice?

Here's everything you need to know about Wednesday's OTA session, based on observations posted by Patriots insider Phil Perry on The X (formerly Twitter) from Foxboro.

Attendance

Star edge rusher Matthew Judon and rookie quarterback Joe Milton were among the players absent from Wednesday's session. Here is the full list of absentees:

Perry said offensive lineman Sidi Sow was in uniform at the start of the session but left early and did not participate.

QB Snap Breakdown

Perry said Brissett was the first quarterback to practice with the team and was “obviously No. 1.” Zappe was second and Maye was third, just as he was on the first day of OTAs last week.

“In 11-on-11 games, Brissett and Maye shared the field, playing five times each,” Perry wrote. “Zappe played on the field next to him and took every snap.

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“In the 11-on-11 period that followed, Brissett took eight snaps, Zappe five and Maye three. Maye was the only quarterback on the field during that period, and he played more 7-on-7 drills than either veteran.

“Bottom line: Brissett remains lead dog. Zappe took more 11-on-11 snaps than Maye.”

Drake May shows signs of growth

Maye has taken “a step in the right direction,” according to Perry, who noted that the No. 3 overall pick has overcame a “slow start” to perform reasonably well.

“In the team period, (Maye) overthrew a deep shot to JuJu Smith-Schuster,” Perry wrote, “then had to huddle again for communication issues and then threw an incomplete pass to Austin Hooper on a tight end screen.”

“He picked himself up from there and made 14 of his next 16 attempts (two on 11-on-11 and the other on 7-on-7). His best pass of the day was a deep pass to Tyquan Thornton for the goal. It was a perfect pass.”

A great day for Jacoby Brissett

The top quarterback on the Patriots roster played just that way on Wednesday.

“Jacoby Brissett made 13 of 15 attempts during his playing time and looked good,” Perry wrote.

“Two strong passes to Javon Baker were his best on the day. He hit Tyquan Thornton on a roll-out pass for a strike. He had sacks (by Diatrich Wise and Tristan Hill) late in the game.”

Zappe committed the only turnover.

While OTA practices without pads have often favored the offense, the defense has also managed to produce some highlights.

“The Patriots defense had one interception today – safety Jaylin Hawkins intercepted a Bailey Zappe pass on a deflection during a 7-on-7 situation,” Perry wrote.

“Undrafted rookie Mikey Victor intercepted a pass from Jacoby Brissett, and Marte Mapu nearly got Drake Maye out.”

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