FOXBOROUGH, Ma s. (AP) With the offensive line still in flux and the development of the franchises rookie quarterback grabbing the majority of the headlines, plenty of attention has been on New England Patriots offensive Dallas Cowboys Kids Jersey coordinator Alex Van Pelt throughout the summer.Van Pelt discu sed the state of the offense on Thursday going into the final preseason game. Most of the questions focused on Drake Maye, the QB taken with the No. 3 pick during Aprils draft. How is he progre sing? Does he still have a chance to unseat veteran Jacoby Bri sett and start the season opener on Sept. 8 against Cincinnati?ADVERTISEMENT Hes taking steps forward every single day," Van Pelt said of Maye. Thats the big thing. Theres no regre sion. Hes taking what he learned from the previous practice and applied it to the next one. Hes really pushing.Entering his 20th NFL season as a coach and first with the Patriots, Van Pelt noted that Maye has been impre sive over the past few weeks. Maye was only on the field for six snaps in the preseason opener before his workload expanded to two quarters during the second preseason game. He responded well to the increase in game reps, leading New England to two of its three scoring drives in a 14-13 lo s to Philadelphia.That was the plan going in the whole time, Van Pelt said when asked to defend the Patriots decision to limit Mayes time on the field during the first preseason game. Quarterback is the hardest position in sports, especially for a rookie. It takes a little time and were going to be as patient as we can with the proce s. Maye is one of four quarterbacks on the current roster. He along with projected starter Jacoby Bri sett and Joe Milton and Bailey Zappe are expected to see action during Sundays final preseason game against Washington.Bri sett's experience has been the key factor in his competition with Maye. Bri sett is entering his ninth season in the NFL and previously worked with Van Pelt during the one season he spent with the Cleveland Browns in 2022.Bri sett hasnt been overly impre sive during the first two exhibition games. He didnt complete a pa s in the preseason opener and sandwiched an interception between two three-and-outs last week against the Eagles.Van Pelt noted the pick that Bri sett threw was the result of a receiver running the wrong route.Hes a solid guy and a solid leader, Van Pelt said about Bri sett. "He puts the work in and has been great with Drake."Whether its Bri sett, Maye, or someone else, how they fare will be moot if they arent protected by the offensive line. Its a unit that has been in the spotlight for the repeated struggles endured during the joint practice against Philadelphia with Van Pelt noting the ongoing search to find answers. Thats a work in progre s as well, Van Pelt said about the O-line. Youll see different lineups. Each practice, youll see guys switch sides going from guard to tackle or right tackle to left tackle. Were trying to find the five best guys. Maybe not the five best players, but the best five guys who work together as a unit.Van Pelt may have held the title of offensive coordinator during previous stops with the Browns and the Buffalo Bills, yet this season marks the first time in his coaching career he will have the final say on play-calling on gameday. Multiple times, head coach Jerod Mayo has gone out of his way to anoint Van Pelt the head coach of New Englands offense.The experience is vital. I Tyler Smith Jersey ve been doing this for a long time and seen a lot of i sues and problems and solved a lot of those as well, Van Pelt said. To be able to stand in front of the group and run it as our offense is special and different. I havent had that opportunity in a while. ___AP NFL: