A once-promising start to the 2024 Patriots season has turned as ugly as it gets in two straight losses to the Jets and 49ers (and three overall).

Patriots fans are understandably losing patience, and they have questions about the development plan for rookie quarterback Drake Maye and if heads could roll if the losing continues.

Let’s answer them in this week’s mailbag.

@kjbuys13
What can a “generational” prospect, like maye, learn from a really bad qb?

The idea that sitting behind a vet works for the growth of a prospect. Sure, if the prospect is learning from a good qb. Mahomes/smith, young/Montana, and love/rogers are often used as examples.

The starting quarterback isn’t teaching the prospect how to play football. That’s for coaches to do. Jacoby Brissett has starting experience, so if Maye is learning from him, it’s more procedure and preparation than it is any actual hands-on teaching.

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Patrick Mahomes, Steve Young and Jordan Love (and Aaron Rodgers) are good examples of players who sat early in their careers behind good quarterbacks and panned out. But Jalen Hurts was also fine sitting behind Carson Wentz (who was dreadful in 2020) for a year, and Lamar Jackson turned out after sitting behind Joe Flacco for a year. Drew Bledsoe wasn’t playing very well in 2000 with Tom Brady learning behind him either. So, quarterbacks don’t only need to learn from elite talents to pan out.

I think it’s fine to question the Patriots’ plan and if it’s best for Maye to sit. But I also believe at some points we’re nitpicking if we start to question if Brissett is going to actively hinder Maye’s development because he’s not an above-average starting quarterback.

Brissett has not been good this season. But the inefficient passing game is more on the offensive line than the quarterback through four weeks.

@DJ40plus
How likely do you think it is that AVP gets fired during the season and if so, would McAdoo be the likely replacement?

I think it’s pretty unlikely for offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt to get fired midseason, especially if it’s a while before Maye starts.

It’s fair to withhold judgment from Van Pelt until we see if Maye can elevate the offense. Van Pelt is also playing with the deck stacked against him on the offensive line. The Patriots have had four starting left tackles in four weeks. That’s untenable.

That being said, I’d like to see the Patriots be more aggressive in certain situations on offense, especially in a game like Sunday’s, going up against a powerhouse 49ers team on the road.

The Patriots shouldn’t be taking a delay of game from the 49ers’ 41-yard line and then punting. They should be running on third-and-3 to set up a manageable fourth-down situation, then going for it.

They shouldn’t be trying to draw the 49ers offsides on fourth-and-1, taking a timeout, and then running the ball with Rhamondre Stevenson. They should just go up to the line and go for it on fourth down without the unnecessary cuteness.

Van Pelt has criticized his own play-calling at times, saying he wished he had run the ball more in Week 3 and that he had more plays at his disposal early in the season.

The jury is out on whether Van Pelt is a good play-caller. But if the Patriots truly believe in this development plan for Maye, then they also need to stick with Van Pelt as the offensive coordinator. I don’t think it would benefit Maye from having two coordinators in his first two seasons, let alone in his rookie year alone.

@headofthepugs
If the Patriots don’t win another game does anyone get fired?

Yes. If the Patriots finish 1-16, then I believe there will be consequences for members of the staff, and that could include coordinators. I think head coach Jerod Mayo and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf would receive more patience.

These next six weeks are a true test. The Patriots have easily winnable games against the Dolphins, Jaguars, Titans and Bears. Starting 1-9 would be a complete disaster.

@Patriots_FA
Will any of the eligible IR players return this week? (Bourne, Strange, Takitaki)

Wide receiver Kendrick Bourne (PUP) will return to practice this week. It’s unclear if that means he’ll play Sunday. Mayo was non-committal on linebacker Sione Takitaki (PUP) and safety Marte Mapu (injured reserve). Don’t expect guard Cole Strange to practice until at least midseason.

@SimonWagstaff16
After starting 1-3, sticking with a lame duck QB, and entering the soft part of the schedule there is a real conflict RE: wins and losses for 2024.

Should we be rooting for the tank?

The best thing for the future of the Patriots would be to finish with the No. 1 overall pick, because then they could presumably trade down and fill all of their major needs (wide receiver, offensive tackle, defensive end, cornerback) through the draft.

But when Maye starts, development is important, and with that should come winning.

@Jwillplaya
Why do they keep playing Layden Robinson?

It’s a fair question to ask. I’m all for developing young players, and Robinson is a good run blocker. But he’s been rough in pass protection.

If rookie right tackle Caedan Wallace’s ankle injury isn’t severe, I’d eventually endorse starting him and moving Mike Onwenu back to right guard.

@CollarChip
Does Drake Maye start a game before week 10?

I think he should. The sweet spot to me is somewhere between Week 7 (vs. the Jaguars in London) and Week 9 (vs. the Titans in Tennessee).

@Alex_Flange
Was this always the plan at OL? (minus the injuries and Chuks going AWOL) I cannot get my head around the fact that the team thought this was adequate planning for a glaring need, especially when going ‘development’ QB at 3.

For the past two seasons, the Patriots didn’t want to throw a bunch of money at a free-agent offensive tackle that they didn’t believe in. So, they signed Chukwuma Okorafor and drafted Wallace believing one of them could play left tackle.

It didn’t work, which is why Vederian Lowe became their best option. I think they should have safeguarded themselves by bringing in a veteran player who they knew could play left tackle.

Obviously they didn’t plan for Okorafor to leave the team or for any of the injuries they’ve suffered along the line.

@bigtiger547
Do you think we will see more action for Keyshon Boutte?

I’m in favor of it at this point. The Patriots aren’t getting much out of Tyquan Thornton or K.J. Osborn. Boutte will be blocked by Bourne when he returns, however.