Through three games, the Patriots are allowing 10 quarterback hits per game. Brissett has felt pressure on roughly half the time he drops back to pass. Over his 10 dropbacks last week, Maye took two sacks and got smashed two other times.

That the Patriots don’t have enough of an offensive line in front of him for him to be able to show his worth is the real embarrassment here.

However, where he has succeeded is getting the Patriots through the four most grueling weeks of regular season football against a returning Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, Seattle Seahawks, New York Jets and San Francisco 49ers.