Patriots' Jerod Mayo Failing in Massive Area With Drake Maye

New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo is being put on notice for failing in this one major area with quarterback Drake Maye.

Dec 28, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye (10) on the field against the Los Angeles Chargers in the first quarter at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots entered the 2024 NFL season knowing they weren't going to compete for much of anything outside of draft positioning.

However, that does not mean the Patriots went into the year without any goals.

New England obviously wanted to show progression in some areas, and it also wanted to cultivate a safe environment for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

While Maye has showed some flashes of brilliance since taking over as the starter in mid-October, it has been difficult for the first-year signal-caller to remain consistent thanks to an absolutely brutal offensive line.

Yes, most of that blame falls on the Pats' front office for not supplying Maye with adequate talent in the trenches, but Pro Football Network also feels that head coach Jerod Mayo bears some responsibility for Maye's lack of protection.

"A quarterback is only going to have a chance to be as good as he has time to be, and with the Patriots allowing pressure at the third-highest rate this season, there are concerns about how much better Maye can get," Pro Football Network wrote.

Maye has been sacked 33 times in 12 games while being constantly pressured this season, which is where Pro Football Network feels that Mayo has dropped the ball.

"New England was slightly above average in this respect in 2023 prior to Mayo, a ranking that needed to be sustained with a rookie under center rather than tanking," they added. "Of course, some of that blame falls at Maye's feet, but the head coach is responsible for developing a plan, and the plan to keep the rookie quarterback comfortable failed."

Maye has managed to throw for 2,276 yards, 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 421 yards and a couple of scores in spite of poor offensive line play, but there is no question that the Patriots need to get this fixed heading into 2025.

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