Should New York Jets Be Afraid of Standout New England Patriots Rookie Quarterback?

Is Drake Maye going to be a problem for the New York Jets?

Oct 20, 2024; London, United Kingdom; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye signs to players in the first half. / Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

The last time the New York Jets faced the New England Patriots, they dismantled them 24-3 on Thursday Night Football in Week 3.

Fast forward five weeks, and a lot has changed for both sides. Neither team has won a game since, with the Jets falling to 2-5 and the Patriots plunging to 1-6.

Both teams have responded to their slow starts with major changes. New York fired head coach Robert Saleh, stripped offensive coordinator Nathaniel Hackett of his play-calling duties and brought in Davante Adams from the Las Vegas Raiders.

So far, none of it has worked, at least not yet.

Meanwhile, New England replaced starting quarterback Jacoby Brissett with rookie Drake Maye, hoping to light a spark under its dreadful offense.

On Sunday, the Jets will face Maye for the first time.

Should they be worried? Maybe.

Here to bless your feed with Drake Maye’s 5 touchdowns through his first 2 starts

Don’t let all this negativity hide the fact that the Patriots have a top 10 QB in the NFL right now

New England has found their guy #Patriots #NEPats pic.twitter.com/kEDVnZYs0s

— DomThePatsFan 🎃 (@domthepatsfan) October 22, 2024

Despite being 0-2 as a starter, Maye has already proven himself to be much more explosive than Brissett as a passer. The 22-year-old has already thrown for over 500 yards and five touchdowns, whereas Brissett had just two touchdowns and 696 passing yards through five games.

Maye has also been more accurate than his predecessor, completing 64.1% of his passes compared to 58.5% for Brissett. The third overall draft pick moves around better too, rushing for 17 more yards on two fewer attempts.

New York's defense suffocated Brissett & Co. in Week 3, limiting them to just 139 yards of total offense and a field goal. The Jets have deteriorated on that side of the ball without Saleh, however, allowing 37 points and 409 total yards (both season-highs) to the Pittsburgh Steelers last week.

Saleh's replacement, Jeff Ulbrich, must find a way to get the defense back on track this week. Maye has the arm strength and playmaking abilities to make the game competitive and perhaps even outduel the aging Aaron Rodgers.

New York desperately needs a win this weekend. For that to happen, containing Maye will be critical.