Last Thursday night, Patriots rookie quarterback Drake Maye took six snaps in his preseason debut. Coach Jerod Mayo said this week that Maye will get more in Week 2, against the Eagles.
How much more? We’ll see.
The Patriots seem to be bringing Maye along slowly, with the goal of giving Jacoby Brissett the starting job, at least for the early portion of the season. And possibly longer.
Then there’s Joe Milton. The rookie sixth-rounder created a lot more buzz last Thursday night than Maye did. While Maye was picked third overall to be the future, Milton has become an interesting prospect in the present.
It could be that the Patriots envision a redshirt year for Maye. Regardless, fans hope to see something that will make them think he can eventually become the guy. They’ll be hoping to see it tonight.
And they’ll also be hoping that the best Mayo can say about Maye will be something better than “steady.”
There’s another reason to watch tonight’s game. For some reason, it’s the only preseason game to be played tonight. And there will be none on Friday.
Then, there will be 13 of them on Saturday, with two on Sunday.