FOXBOROUGH — While Jerod Mayo included health-related disclaimers when discussing the strategy for Drake Maye against the Bills, offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt took a more straightforward approach on Thursday morning.
While a loss to Buffalo would guarantee the No. 1 overall pick in next spring’s NFL Draft, Van Pelt made it clear that the plan is for Maye to start. The rookie quarterback appeared on Wednesday’s injury report with a new issue involving his throwing hand — listed as limited by the Patriots — but Van Pelt emphasized that it shouldn’t impact the decision.
“Drake looked good on Wednesday. He’s ready to go and will definitely be starting the game,” Van Pelt said. “I’m excited for him to get another chance—more opportunities to grow. This gives him the chance to face a team we played just two weeks ago, understand what they did in that game, and see how well we respond this time.”
Based on Van Pelt’s comments, it seems the plan is for Maye to start, but there’s no explicit mention of whether he’ll play the entire game. His performance and health during the game might influence that decision.
“We’re absolutely playing to win the game. We’ll see how things unfold from there, but yes, that’s the plan,” Van Pelt said.
Van Pelt also noted that Joe Milton III took some snaps with the offense on Wednesday, suggesting he might be elevated to the backup role for the season finale. The sixth-round pick from Tennessee has been New England’s emergency third quarterback throughout the first 16 games of the season.
