Patriots Mailbag: What led to Drake Maye taking over at quarterback?

It's officially Drake Maye time. The words we've been waiting for since April (or even longer for many).

As the New England Patriots look to usher in a new era, you can imagine what this week's #PostPulpit mailbag questions are about. So, let's get started.

Two weeks ago I asked what a QB change would take. They believed that Brissette leaving too many chances on the field could be the trigger. Do you think that won? Do you think this was a decision by the coaching staff or did GM/Kraft influence the trade? The early play of other QBs in this year's draft class? Robert Saleh's early exit from the NYJ? – 1stStateSoxFan

Ultimately, I believe Brissett's play contributing to the lack of offensive production is the main reason for this change. When Jerod Mayo and the team talked about the plan for Drake Maye, it probably didn't include Jacoby leading the 31st scoring offense and ranking last in scoring per game over the last five weeks.

Once again the veteran found himself in a difficult situation. But there were actually too many plays every week that he couldn't capitalize on.

Just last week, Alex Van Pelt made a well-timed shot and the Patriots are finally able to block it. This leads to an open Pop Douglas downfield where Brissett simply has to push the ball to the left sideline and let Douglas run in flat. Instead, Brissett leads him into the end zone, where the 5-foot-10 Douglas has to try to pass the ball instead.

The offense needs a spark and Maye's athleticism, arm talent and aggressiveness will provide just that. I firmly believe that this is the only reason for the change, which has also been reinforced by Maye's work on the practice field and in the meeting rooms since his arrival.

With Drake Maye as QB, how does this impact the deployment and production of the WR corps? And who is Maye's main target? – LandenPatz1

I fully expect wide receiver production to increase with Maye. Some of Maye's greatest strengths as a passer (attacking the middle, anticipating throwing, etc.) were some of the biggest problems on offense under Brissett. The rookie also won't be afraid to attack tight windows and give his receivers opportunities downfield.

While this should help all of New England's pass catchers, Pop Douglas and Ja'Lynn Polk are the two on my radar. With Polk, Maye will give his fellow rookies the opportunity to play 1-on-1 games on the field, while Douglas, who has a similar build/skill set to Josh Downs, one of Maye's favorite college targets, is a popular one The aim of the whole field will be in the middle. Maye will also be able to capitalize on some of his downfield routes (above), something we haven't seen much from Douglas yet due to his QB play.

Do you think it's possible that the rest of Team Maye is doing better in practice than Jacoby and Mayo doesn't want to risk losing the locker room for not playing against the best and that's the reason for the QB change? – BelichickRingsCamera

As a former player, I definitely believe Jerod Mayo had the locker room in mind when he made the move. He couldn't continue to use Brissett with that offensive production and tell his team that it would give them the best chance to win – something he and Alex Van Pelt pointed out when he made the announcement.

“At the time, we thought Jacoby would give us the best opportunity to go out and win games, protect the football and really control the offense,” Mayo said Wednesday. “Going forward, I think Drake gives us the best chance to win now and in the future. Like I said, he's getting better every week. By the end of training camp, he was actually trending very high. That continued at the start of the season.”

The players notice this on the practice field and in the locker room. You see the struggles the offense has on the field compared to what the rookie looks like in practice. All of this can lead to some general frustration, especially since the other 52 players on the roster don't have the same long-term, comprehensive view of things that the front office likely has. They want the best players on the field to help them win.

Why Maye vs. start? Texan of all teams… what's the logic?!! -KissBillsRings

For confidence reasons, I would have played Maye against a weaker Miami team last week, but which team he plays is pretty much irrelevant to me. I understand that Houston's league pressure rate is a scary matchup, but you can point to a potential problem in each upcoming matchup.

Jaguars? Josh Hines-Allen is totally excited and has a crazy week of work including a trip to London. Jets? Against the defense that just held you to three points? Tennessee and Chicago in the next two weeks? Two other defenses ranked in the top 10 in DVOA. Etc. etc. etc.

Drake Maye won't let his first start against the Texans rattle him. And if so? He was never that guy at all.

Do you think they will do any business? -Chris Hustenlin

A taker could emerge for Tyquan Thornton (probably for a conditional late-round draft pick), or perhaps they'll try to trade an upcoming free agent like Joshua Uche. But I wouldn't expect anything big – like adding Tee Higgins if the Bengals keep losing.

That being said, we've never seen how Eliot Wolf handles a trade deadline.

That's all for this week's #PostPulpit mailbag. If you have questions you'd like answered next week, submit them online in our weekly submissions post or on Twitter using #PostPulpit. Make sure you follow us @iambrianhines And @PatsPulpit as well as.