FOXBORO, Mass. -- The Patriots have seen two things become quite evident over the first few weeks of training camp; Jacoby Brissett's experience is legitimate difference maker and Drake Maye has a butt-load of talent.
New England is clearly more comfortable with the former.
Brissett is the starter. It's been stated on a daily basis down at Gillette Stadium, but Monday provided Maye with an opportunity to show a little bit of what separates him from the man who is holding down what will eventually be his spot.
New England put added emphasis on the running game, spending the majority of team periods focusing on short-yardage situations -- specifically third downs and red-zone work. The Patriots kept Maye with the second-string offense, and despite his day following a similar script to what we've already seen, there were some real flashes of what fans have been hoping to see.
He showed some athleticism, and perhaps more importantly, he let it fly a bit.
Maye finished just 5-of-10 during full team drills, but did have two scrambles that would have played in a live game situation -- one of which came in the red zone and would have resulted in a touchdown.
Did he have to run because his offensive line couldn't hold blocks? Yeah, but you probably could have guessed as much.
Maye's decision to air the ball out didn't necessarily look like his decision, as the two long targets came suspiciously close to one another, but was an example of what separates him from others. Maye targeted K.J. Osborn and Javon Baker on a pair of deep shots in his third series in team drills, the first of which appeared to be catchable. Baker's target went a tad long, but likely would have fallen incomplete anyway, as he was well covered.
Brissett was better through the air, completing 10-of-13 attempts during team periods and really shining as a passer when the field got shorter. He found Austin Hooper and Tyquan Thornton for would-be touchdowns in the red zone, the former of which had some Patrick Mahomes-like flair to it.
We just didn't see much athleticism out of the 31-year-old, as the play-action fakes and bootlegs were saved for Maye and Joe Milton III
It's clear that Brissett is being afforded the opportunity to play with more freedom. He knows this system, having spent time playing under Alex Van Pelt, and doesn't have to second-guess anything.
Maye, with time and experience, will eventually get to that point. If he can marry that experience with the talent he's shown, the Patriots might just be cooking with gas.
