The New England Patriots first preseason game is officially over and it was an interesting one to say the least.
Drake Maye did get to make his debut, but it was short lived, with the coaching staff only giving him one drive. Jacoby Brissett, who started the game for the Patriots, also only got one drive.
As for the rest of the game, it was Bailey Zappe who played the majority. And it was not the prettiest showing. But when Joe Milton came in, things got REALLY interesting.
The Patriots went on to win 17-3 in their preseason opener.
So let's get into my main observations from the Patriots first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers, starting with Maye's first NFL snaps:
1. Drake Maye makes his debut
It was the moment every Patriots fan has been waiting for. Drake Maye took the field at Gillette Stadium and the crowd, despite it being light, cheered loudly for the rookie quarterback.
He got one drive, going two-for-three for 19 yards. His first NFL throw was to running back Antonio Gibson on a screen, who then got a few additional yards for the first down.
However, he wasn't able to get the team another 10 yards and punter Bryce Baringer was sent out.
That did it for Maye.
If I had to guess, the team is planning to give him a ton of reps during joint practice with the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday, and he could see more time in that preseason game next Thursday as well.
5. Joe Milton's debut
Remember last season when undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham came out during the preseason and provided an insane spark for the team? That's what happened again, but this time with Joe Milton.
The quarterback, who the Patriots drafted in the sixth round, got out to a strong start, hitting fellow rookie Javon Baker for five yards. As I said on Twitter, you would have thought it was 50 yards based on the crowd's reaction .
He then had one of the most insane scrambles ever, going for 15 yards under pressure from the Panthers, and still managed to break free for a first down. The description doesn't do it justice, so here's a replay of what happened.
And it just got better from there.
Milton then proceeded to hit receiver JaQuae Jackson for a 39 yard touchdown.
You can't make this stuff up.
6. Joey Slye might have a leg (or foot) up in the kicking competition
After struggling his rookie season, the Patriots brought in some competition for Chad Ryland. And it has been a back-and-forth competition between him and Joey Slye all throughout training camp.
But it appeared on Thursday that Slye might be a little ahead. He got the opening kick off, and then when i twas time for the Patriots first field goal attempt of the game, Slye took the field.
And he was good from 42 yards.
Ryland on the other hand was only tasked with making two extra point.
3 Bryce Baringer stays busy
If you wanted to see the punters stay busy on Thursday night, then this was the game for you.
The game ended with eight total punts for Baringer and 10 for Panthers' Johnny Hecker.
4. WR David Wallis helps set up lone TD
The Patriots took a seven point lead in the second quarter, on a drive that began deep in the Panthers territory. It started when Wallis was back for the punt return and took it for 23 yards to the Panthers 30 yard line.
Zappe came out, and hit Kayshon Boutte on a nice pass that got them just outside of the end zone. Kevin Harris finished it off with a two-yard touchdown run to get the team on the board.
5. A lot of playing time for Bailey Zappe
Throughout training camp, Zappe has gotten the least amount of reps. But on Thursday, it was all him on the field for the first half.
After Brissett and Maye each got a drive, Mayo sent Zappe out. And each time the offense left the field, there were questions on who they would send in next. throughout the entire second quarter and most of the third, it was Zappe. He had the one touchdown drive, but after that, he really couldn't get anything going with the receivers.
With a little over five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Zappe appeared to come down hard on his shoulder from a sack. And the next drive, rookie Joe Milton came in.
Based on Milton's performance compared to Zappe's, it's clear who currently holds the No. 3 spot on the roster.
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