Jerod Mayo’s playbook for Drake Maye is drawing more red flags than a laundry day at Gillette Stadium. As the rain fell on the Patriots‘ preseason opener, it wasn’t just the field that got soaked – Mayo’s conservative approach for his prized rookie QB left fans and pundits sweating. Bill Belichick’s former aide, Michael Lombardi, was one of them. What did he say?

“He said he didn’t want to play his guys on Monday because it was raining,” Lombardi quipped, his tone dripping with sarcasm. “I didn’t know rain was prohibitive in terms of playing preseason,” he further shared on the recent “GM Shuffle” podcast. This zinger set the stage for a blistering critique of Mayo’s handling of Maye, the third overall pick in this year’s draft.

Maye’s debut was shorter than a New England summer – a mere seven snaps over one series. This conservative approach led many to ponder over whether the Patriots’ coaching team missed an opportunity to help Maye’s development. This technique echoed the Houston Texans’ handling of CJ Stroud last year.

Texans coach DeMeco Ryans limited Stroud to just 12 snaps over two series in his NFL debut, citing concerns about the offensive line. Stroud went on to win AP Offensive Rookie of the Year honors, but Lombardi isn’t buying that this blueprint will work in Foxborough.

“If you have a young quarterback, you got to sit there and have a systematic plan in place for how we’re going to develop him on and off the field and how we’re going to get the team to rally around them and how we’re going to get the team to be cohesive around them,” Lombardi stressed. Well, he can say all he wants, but Mayo won’t agree.

The HC, who previously played eight seasons under Belichick and then coached under him for five seasons, defended his strategy just two days ago. “Each of these quarterbacks has an individual development plan that I’ve gone over with AVP and the rest of his staff, and we’re sticking to that plan until it’s time to change,” Mayo stated. But this explanation didn’t stop the criticism from rolling in like a Nor’easter. If anything, there are only more questions. Why?

Belichick believed in good old practice, especially for the QB position. No doubt, Mayo’s strikingly different strategy with Maye is a bit surprising for people. And it could work against the player. With a veteran QB like Jacoby Brissett present on the team, Maye will find it difficult to grab opportunities. The New England Patriots have released their first unofficial depth chart and that mentions him as the backup quarterback. So he will need to fight to get chances to shine and hopefully, become the starter later.

But coming back to Mayo, even Patriots legend Rob Gronkowski weighed in on the controversy. “I think Drake Maye did a job well done for the six plays that he played,” Gronkowski said on “First Things First” last week. He found it odd that Maye, being such a high draft pick, was only given fewer plays, suggesting that more time should be devoted to seeing what he can do.

The contrast became even starker when comparing Mayo’s approach to that of Denver Broncos head coach Sean Payton. “This is what separates Sean Payton from the New England Patriots,” Lombardi said. “Sean has a specific plan for Bo Nix.” This wasn’t just armchair quarterbacking – Lombardi’s words carried the weight of experience in the Patriots’ organization.

Sean Payton’s playbook is a lesson in QB development!

While Maye was left high and dry, Payton gave his rookie QB, Bo Nix, a chance to make it rain. In the Broncos‘ preseason opener against the Indianapolis Colts, Nix led four scoring drives in five possessions, finishing 15-of-21 for 125 yards and a touchdown. It was a performance that had Broncos Country buzzing.

Payton’s approach goes beyond just playing time. “The ball’s out, I like the timing and the tempo…,” he said after the game. “I was pleased with the timing … throwing the ball.” This confidence isn’t just felt by the quarterback but by the entire team.

Broncos right tackle Mike McGlinchey echoed this sentiment, saying, “I think certainly his maturity is something everybody is speaking to. He’s learned fast on the job and he’s a very competitive dude.” 

Further, T.J. Houshmandzadeh, speaking on “The Herd with Colin Cowherd” early this month, highlighted two key factors that could lead to Nix’s success: his extensive college experience (61 starts) and his record-breaking accuracy (77.4% completion rate in his final season). These stats aren’t just numbers – they’re a testament to Nix’s readiness.

The message from Lombardi is clear for the Patriots: Mayo needs to take a page from Payton’s playbook. With the Patriots’ quarterback carousel spinning faster than a New England nor’easter – they’ve changed signal callers almost as quickly as the Rocky Mountain weather since Peyton Manning retired – Mayo might want to consider hitting the brakes and focusing on a more structured development plan for Maye.

And it seems he is working towards that. The HC shared that expects Maye to put in more reps in the upcoming games than he did in the first game.

As the Patriots navigate this quarterback conundrum, one thing’s certain – the ghosts of Foxborough’s past are watching. And they might not be impressed with Mayo’s conservative game plan. It’s time for the coach to push things further. What do you think?