FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Even with a victory over the much-hated New York Jets and four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers, the New England Patriots couldn’t celebrate too much.
First-round draft pick Drake Maye left the game in the first half after taking a helmet-to-helmet hit at the end of a run. He was placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol, with no timetable on when he might be able to come back.
Coach Jerod Mayo said that Maye’s status was “above my pay grade.” An NFL player in the concussion protocol must be cleared by an independent neurological consultant before he can return to play.
“I’m not going to get too much into that, as far as Drake questions,” Mayo said on Monday, a day after New England snapped a six-game losing streak by beating the Jets 25-22.
Maye scored his first NFL rushing touchdown when he beat New York linebacker Chazz Surratt to the pylon on a 17-yard run. He scrambled again near the end of the first quarter and went to slide but was hit by New York linebacker Jamien Sherwood.
Maye finished out the series — taking a sack and throwing two incomplete passes. Mayo said trainer Jim Whalen told him Maye had to go to the medical tent to be checked out.
“I was surprised,” the coach said. “He threw a couple of good balls afterward, and I thought he was still pretty sharp in those regards. But obviously, it’s above my pay grade as far as pulling him out of the game and putting him in the protocol.”
Maye did not speak to reporters after the game. Jacoby Brissett replaced him and led the team on two go-ahead drives in the fourth quarter, setting up the game-winning touchdown with 22 seconds left.
What’s working
Brissett lost four games in a row as a starter before he was replaced by Maye, so the victory off the bench was his first since Week 1. He was 15 of 24 for 132 yards, plus a 14-yard scramble on third-and-9 to keep the game-winning drive going.
“I don’t look at it as redemption. I think this is a testament to me believing in myself and not y’all,” Brissett said. “I was very fortunate to have this opportunity. To go out there and get a win with our guys, it was sweet. You can’t put it into words. … I’m not trying to be arrogant, but I’m very proud of myself today.”
What needs work
The Patriots were called for three pass interference penalties in the game, two of them on the drive that led to the first New York touchdown. One of them bailed the Jets out after a third down incompletion from outside of field-goal range, and the other gave them the ball at the 2. (There was also an illegal use of hands penalty on the same drive.)
Stock up
Rhamondre Stevenson, who was demoted after fumbling in each of the first five games, carried 20 times — his most since Week 2. He only gained 48 yards, but he had two touchdowns, both showing the toughness that Mayo had said the team lacked.
“Early in the season, he had a hard time keeping the ball,” Mayo said. “I tip my hat to a guy like that who’s able to — once he crosses the white line, nothing else really matters. And I’m so proud of him and what he’s been able to do.”
Stock down
The Patriots quarterbacks didn’t get much help from their receivers, with Kayshon Boutte and Kendrick Bourne each dropping two passes and Tyquan Thornton unable to hold onto a throw from Maye (though defensive back Jalen Mills did a nice job breaking it up, perhaps even a little early).
“They need to get better,” Mayo said. “Those guys went out there, and they were open at times. The job of a receiver is to get open and catch the ball, and if you’re really good, run with it afterward. So, they definitely have to get better, and they understand that.”
Injuries
Maye’s concussion would be a major setback if it not only keeps him out of games but prevents him from practicing.
Key number
24. The Patriots have beaten the Jets at least once in 24 straight seasons, the longest active streak in the NFL. The most recent time the Jets swept New England came in 2000 in coach Bill Belichick’s first season with the Patriots.
Next step
The Patriots play the one-win Tennessee Titans on Sunday and could come away with their first two-game winning streak since Thanksgiving of 2022. New England is a 3-point favorite — the biggest spread for the team and only the second time all season they have been favored.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.
