The NFL viewing public got their first look at one of the league's most contentious quarterback rooms on Thursday as the New England Patriots began its preseason slate from Gillette Stadium against the Carolina Panthers .
A sizable home crowd watched the Patriots score a 17-3 victory against their NFC South opposition, with Drake Maye , Jacoby Brissett, Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton III all taking snaps under center .
Here's a look at how each Patriots quarterback performed in Week 1 of the preseason:
Bailey Zappe: 12/20, 108 yards
With presumptive starting candidates Brissett and Maye earning the first two drivers of the evening, Zappe's appearance on New England's third possession was met with a chorus of boos around Gillette Stadium on Thursday. Zappe currently holds the single-season passing record for all of FBS football, totaling 5,937 yards during an illustrious senior season at Western Kentucky, but was bitterly disappointing in six starts for New England last year, throwing nine interceptions and taking 25 sacks.
The third-year NFL quarterback was stellar in taking the majority of snaps on Thursday with a 60 percent completion percentage but was responsible for the evening's lowlight, attempting to connect with Jared Baker on a deep ball but underthrowing the wide receiver by five yards. Zappe's biggest play of the evening, a 30-yard pass to Kayshon Boutte down to the 2-yard line, also could have easily been intercepted and required a tremendous effort from the LSU product.
Joe Milton III: 4/6, 54 yards (1 touchdown)
Milton, conversely, made an emphatic statement toward securing his place on the Patriots' gameday roster with a pair of highlight plays. The sixth-round NFL Draft pick was most recently listed as the fourth-string quarterback on New England's unofficial roster.
With nine of New England's first 10 drivers amounting to punts, Milton marched the Patriots across midfield with a remarkable scrambling effort, rolling out to the right sideline before traversing across the entire field and sliding headfirst 15 yards later across the left hash marks.
Milton's first drive ended in a field goal, but he quickly led the Patriots back into Panthers territory on his next series and emphatically capped off his first NFL touchdown drive. The Tennessee grad deftly stepped up in the pocket to avoid pressure and delivered a strike downfield to Rutgers alum JaQuae Jackson, who scampered untouched into the endzone.
Drake Maye: 2/3, 19 yards
New England's No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 Draft and presumed future of the franchise appeared suitable in his brief first-quarter cameo on Thursday. Maye's first passing attempt came under sub-optimal conditions on 3rd and 12, but he connected with running back Antonio Gibson for just enough to move the chains.
The former UNC star was less successful on a subsequent third and long try, again checking down to a running back in a play that left Kevin Harris stranded well short of the first-down marker.
Jacoby Brissett: 0/3, 0 yards
Brissett, at least tentatively, is listed as the No. 1 option on New England's depth chart but struggled to materialize any offense on the Patriots' first drive. The longtime backup handed the ball off to Rhamondre Stevenson on his initial snap, who immediately gained first-down yardage, but Brissett fired three straight incompletions and forced a punt.
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