Drake Maye, the face of the New England Patriots offense, won’t be hitting the field for their preseason game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Saturday night. This isn’t some shocking revelation, though. According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, the core offensive and defensive players are “unlikely” to take the field for this exhibition contest, meaning Maye still hasn’t seen any game action through two preseason matchups.
Why Maye’s Bench Means Business
This approach from the Patriots isn’t a surprise, and honestly, it makes a lot of sense when you look at the reps they just piled up. Coming off two intense joint practices with the Eagles on Wednesday and Thursday, the coaching staff clearly feels like their starters got plenty of work in. Maye himself got a ton of throws in, attempting a combined 36 passes just during the full-team drills. That’s some serious volume, way more than you’d typically see in a quick preseason game drive or two. Maye even said on Thursday, “I think we had a lot of great work. The biggest thing is that is a good football team over there, and I think just not riding the rollercoaster.” He talked about finding “competitive stamina” and needing to “string some plays together in a row,” feeling like they did that better on Wednesday than Thursday. That tells you everything: they’re getting real, competitive work against a top-tier opponent without the injury risk of a full game.
DeVito Gets Another Shot
So, with Maye getting his rest, who’s gonna be slinging the rock for the Pats? That’ll be backup Tommy DeVito, who’s expected to start at quarterback again. DeVito got the nod in last week’s preseason opener against the Colts, where he went 13-for-22 for 138 yards and punched in a touchdown. That game ended in a 13-13 tie. This is a massive opportunity for DeVito to show what he can do, building on those stats and proving he can command the offense for a full game. Every snap is an audition, and he’s getting extended reps that most backups only dream of.
The Patriots and Eagles kick off their second exhibition battle at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday night, live from Gillette Stadium. DeVito gets another chance to make his case, and for the starters, it’s all about continuing to build on those practice reps and staying sharp for when the games actually count.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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