A more experienced coach probably would have said “no” or “Jacoby is our quarterback” and postponed behind-the-scenes decision-making for at least another day. The bigger question is why Mayo even opened this conversation.

Maye, the franchise's prized No. 3 pick in this year's draft, has yet to be on the field, at least not behind a line of attack that could barely contain MetLife Stadium's notorious wind. By the time his number was called, the game was clearly lost on a night when Brissett had already been sacked five times and taken 10 hard hits.

“I just thought it would be a good opportunity for him to go out with the ones, make some drives and move the ball,” the head coach said, stressing that the decision was his alone and not that of offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt.

How closely was he following the game? Why would he put Maye at such risk behind an offensive line whose performance was described as “unsustainable” by its veteran captain, center David Andrews?

“It was definitely something I thought about personally, but at the same time I thought it would be too good an opportunity for (Drake) to go out and get some experience,” Mayo said.

Speaking of quarterback controversy. There are still ten days until the Patriots' next game, they face a difficult road trip to San Francisco, and their coach has just opened that door.

The full response to a possible QB swap was, “I don't know. We talk about it every week, you're competing for a job. We'll sit down as a coaching staff and see where it goes.”

To which Brissett replied, “I mean, I don’t make personnel decisions.”

Maye shouldn't have to go through what Brissett went through Thursday. No time to think, no time to throw, hit from all sides. Oh, Brissett kept getting up and earned plenty of praise after the game for his toughness, but that's exactly what the 31-year-old veteran was brought here for. He's the bridge to Maye's future, and Mayo should resist the temptation to bench him in favor of Maye's present. The kid hardly looked ready Thursday, his first throw from the huddle completely predictable and nearly intercepted. He completed 4 of 8 passes for 22 yards but, despite playing in a no-huddle offense and almost exclusively from the shotgun position, was sacked twice.

“I think it was a good feeling to get a hit,” he said in the locker room. “Preseason was one thing, but now it's all about it. It was good to get that behind us.”

The Patriots really want to win this game.

The numbers were horrific: 27 first downs for the Jets to 11 for the Patriots, 40:04 time of possession for New York to 19:56, the Jets with 400 total net yards to 139, the Jets with 70 offensive plays to the Patriots' 48, one lost fumble for the visitors to no turnovers for the Jets.

Brissett was at the helm most of the time, but behind a porous line that lacked strong pass receivers and playing from behind because the defense missed tackles all night, he had no chance to make an impact. He has nowhere to turn and takes a beating week after week. But overall, he's doing his job. He's keeping the pocket warm until it's safe to give Maye, the highly paid rookie and eventual franchise quarterback, the full-time job.

For two weeks, the plan worked pretty well. Week 1 saw an upset at Cincinnati, followed by an overtime loss at home to Seattle – games in which Brissett didn't do much statistically, but more than demonstrated his toughness and intelligence. He stood firm. He moved the pocket. He ran when he needed to and found quick takers.

But after three weeks, the picture is getting bleaker. The Patriots should not even consider keeping their top-class young player in this mess. Instead, they should think about not using him as Brissett's replacement. Because if there are too many more games like this, the 31-year-old migrant worker will hand the ball over to Maye, not because the coaching staff wants him to, but because the doctor thinks it's necessary.

Had that happened on Thursday, had Maye ended up getting injured in a crushing loss because his coach thought it would be a good opportunity to get playing time, there would have been no acceptable defense. Mayo and Maye got away with it this time. There's no reason to play with that fire again.

Tara Sullivan is a columnist at the Globe. You can reach her at [email protected]. Follow her @Globe_Tara.