Joe Milton III’s outing created a buzz with Patriots while there wasn’t enough to see from Drake Maye to make a rational assessment

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In an NFL preseason thirsty for rookie quarterback assessments, Thursday night began for the New England Patriots as the heavily anticipated debut of No. 3 overall draft pick Drake Maye. By the time it ended, it had transformed into the Joe Milton III Social Media/Talk Radio Bowl.

That’s the best description of what unfolded for the Patriots, who beat the Carolina Panthers’ 17-3 in a game that meant nothing unless you were measuring the ongoing hype race between the Patriots’ rookie quarterbacks.

If you went into Thursday night measuring that pair, it wasn’t much of a contest, largely due to oddly divided reps between that duo. It featured Maye entering in wet conditions as the second quarterback into the game behind starter Jacoby Brissett, then throwing three passes in one series of play. After that, Maye gave way to Bailey Zappe, who was eventually replaced by Milton with 4:12 left in the third quarter. The rookie sixth-round pick ultimately closed the game for New England with a versatile flourish, flooding social media with highlights.

Viewed through the deception prism of the first game of any preseason, when things are typically never as good or bad as they appear, the disparity is rational. Maye’s opportunities were limited to only one series against a mix of the Panthers’ first- and second-string defense. Conversely, Milton sustained two scoring drives mostly against Panthers who will be filling out the depth chart or struggling to make the team. For both players, it wasn’t much of a realistic measuring stick. But for at least one of the two — Milton — there was no denying that he electrified the offense and made the most of what he had to work with, completing 4-of-6 passes for 54 yards and a touchdown. Milton also had a pair of impressive runs, including a 13-yard scramble for a first down that saw him extend a play for more than 15 seconds as he reversed field and weaved through the defense.

Overall, it was…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-08-09 05:15:12

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