The New England Patriots will take on the Houston Texans this afternoon, led by rookie quarterback Drake Maye. For the first time, fans will see the No. 3 overall pick competing.

There is a lot of excitement and nervousness surrounding Maye’s debut.

Some fear that Maye’s team is letting him down. Through the first five games of the season, the Patriots offensive line struggled. Their wide receivers weren’t much better.

However, there are some who believe he is in for a big first start.

A former NFL head coach, Herm Edwards, shared a motivational message for the young quarterback ahead of his starting debut.

“Drake Maye, why don’t you show us why you should be a starter in Week 1? Now you are the starting quarterback. Do you know what you have to do? You have to score some points. This team only averages 12 points per game. Time to put some points on the board, Drake Maye. Why don’t you show us that you can do this? Because now you’re the starting quarterback – you probably should have been in Week 1,” Edwards explained.

Fans have been calling for Maye to be the starter in recent weeks. Jacoby Brissett was unable to move the football consistently and his frustration quickly grew before the change was made.

Now fans are getting what they wanted with Maye as the starter. Hopefully the quarterback change pays off on the field.

Clearly the message Edwards sent to Maye was one of great confidence. It’s clear the former NFL coach is confident in the New England rookie. He clearly expects Maye to break through right from the start and significantly improve the Patriots’ offense.

Maye has only participated in one drive so far this season. He completed four of his eight pass attempts for 22 yards. He also threw a chip from 12 yards on the ground.

It will be interesting to see what starting performance Maye can put in in her debut. He has great arm talent and the ability to stretch and make plays with his legs.

Hopefully tomorrow we can talk about a much improved passing game and an impressive debut from the rookie quarterback.

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