Why Joshua Dobbs and not Drake Maye is playing vs Jets. Patriots give latest update

In a stunning decision on Sunday, the New England Patriots decided to take out Drake Maye midway through his breakout game vs Jets

Updated on: Dec 29, 2025, 01:51:52 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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In a stunning decision on Sunday, the New England Patriots decided to take out Drake Maye midway through his breakout game against the New York Jets. Joshua Dobbs came in.

Joshua Dobbs #11 of the New England Patriots warms up prior to the game against the New Orleans Saints (Getty Images via AFP)

This comes as Maye had completed 19 of his 21 attempts for a mammoth 256 yards and five touchdowns. He also ran three times for 22 yards. At the time of writing this story, the Patriots led 42-3.

Maye's final pass was his fifth touchdown, a 10-yarder to Efton Chism III.

Why Drake Maye was subbed out

Well, it's more or less clear: New England had already bagged the game. It was the third quarter and Mike Vrabel just wanted to let his backup QB Dobbs have some gametime before the team goes into the postseason.

The same was the case against the Tennessee Titans in Week 7. Dobbs was called on the field after New England had secured a blowout win. The veteran had managed to connect with DeMario Douglas for a first down.

“I've enjoyed being around him,” Mike Vrabel said back then.“He's a professional, he understands, I think he's good for the quarterback, good for Drake (Maye), good for Tommy (DeVito), and he's prepared. As much as we've talked about those practices on Thursday or our red zone on Friday, that those are competitive reps for everybody, I think that those have been great reps for Josh and Tommy to get during the season.”

New England Patriots depth chart

Offense

WR: Stefon Diggs; Mack Hollins

LT: Vederian Lowe; Thayer Munford Jr.

LG: Jared Wilson; Caedan Wallace

C: Garrett Bradbury; Ben Brown

RG: Mike Onwenu; Caedan Wallace

RT: Morgan Moses; Marcus Bryant

TE: Hunter Henry; Austin Hooper; CJ Dippre

WR: DeMario Douglas; Kyle Williams

WR: Kayshon Boutte; Efton Chism III

RB: Rhamondre Stevenson; TreVeyon Henderson; Terrell Jennings

FB: Jack Westover

QB: Drake Maye; Joshua Dobbs; Tommy DeVito

Defense

OLB: K’Lavon Chaisson; Elijah Ponder

DT: Christian Barmore; Joshua Farmer

NT: Khyiris Tonga; Eric Gregory

DT: Cory Durden

OLB: Harold Landry III; Anfernee Jennings; Bradyn Swinson

LB: Robert Spillane; Marte Mapu; Jahlani Tavai

LB: Christian Elliss; Jack Gibbens; Chad Muma

CB: Carlton Davis III; Charles Woods; Miles Battle

S: Jaylinn Hawkins; Dell Pettus; Brenden Schooler

S: Craig Woodson; Dell Pettus

CB: Christian Gonzalez; Marcus Jones

Special Teams

K: Andy Borregales

P: Bryce Baringer

H: Bryce Baringer

PR: Marcus Jones; Efton Chism III

KR: Kyle Williams; Terrell Jennings; Efton Chism III

LS: Julian Ashby

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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