FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — With the offensive line still in flux and the development of the franchise’s rookie quarterback grabbing the majority of the headlines, plenty of attention has been on New England Patriots offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt throughout the summer.
Van Pelt discussed the state of the offense on Thursday going into the final preseason game.
Most of the questions focused on Drake Maye, the QB taken with the No. 3 pick during April’s draft.
How is he progressing? Does he still have a chance to unseat veteran Jacoby Brissett and start the season opener on Sept. 8 against Cincinnati?
“He’s taking steps forward every single day,” Van Pelt said of Maye.
“That’s the big thing. There’s no regression. He’s taking what he learned from the previous practice and applied it to the next one. He’s really pushing.”
Entering his 20th NFL season as a coach and first with the Patriots, Van Pelt noted that Maye has been impressive over the past few weeks. Maye was only on the field for six snaps in the preseason opener before his workload expanded to two quarters during the second preseason game. He responded well to the increase in game reps, leading New England to two of its three scoring drives in a 14-13 loss to Philadelphia.
“That was the plan going in the whole time,” Van Pelt said when asked to defend the Patriots’ decision to limit Maye’s time on the field during the first preseason game.
“Quarterback is the hardest position in sports, especially for a rookie. It takes a little time and we’re going to be as patient as we can with the process.”
Maye is one of four quarterbacks on the current roster. He along with projected starter Jacoby Brissett and Joe Milton and Bailey Zappe are expected to see action during Sunday’s final preseason game against Washington.
Brissett’s experience has been the key factor in his competition with Maye. Brissett is entering his ninth season in the NFL and previously worked with Van Pelt during the one season he spent with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.
Brissett hasn’t been overly impressive during the first two exhibition games. He didn’t complete a pass in the preseason opener and sandwiched an interception between two three-and-outs last week against the Eagles.
Van Pelt noted the pick that Brissett threw was the result of a receiver running the wrong route.
“He’s a solid guy and a solid leader,” Van Pelt said about Brissett. “He puts the work in and has been great with Drake.”
Whether it’s Brissett, Maye, or someone else, how they fare will be moot if they aren’t protected by the offensive line.
It’s a unit that has been in the spotlight for the repeated struggles endured during the joint practice against Philadelphia with Van Pelt noting the ongoing search to find answers.
“That’s a work in progress as well,” Van Pelt said about the O-line. “You’ll see different lineups. Each practice, you’ll see guys switch sides going from guard to tackle or right tackle to left tackle. We’re trying to find the five best guys. Maybe not the five best players, but the best five guys who work together as a unit.”
Van Pelt may have held the title of offensive coordinator during previous stops with the Browns and the Buffalo Bills, yet this season marks the first time in his coaching career he will have the final say on play-calling on gameday.
Multiple times, head coach Jerod Mayo has gone out of his way to anoint Van Pelt the head coach of New England’s offense.
“The experience is vital. I’ve been doing this for a long time and seen a lot of issues and problems and solved a lot of those as well,” Van Pelt said. “To be able to stand in front of the group and run it as our offense is special and different. I haven’t had that opportunity in a while.”
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