Drake Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, made his debut with the New England Patriots on Thursday night, playing one series in a 17-3 preseason victory over the Carolina Panthers. This game marked the first time in 24 years that the Patriots played without Bill Belichick at the helm, as he had agreed to leave the organization the day before.
Drake Maye
New England’s new head coach, 38-year-old Jerod Mayo, who was hired on January 12, became the youngest coach in the NFL. He wore a white short-sleeved Patriots pullover during the game.
“Getting Maye in for one series was always the plan,” Mayo said.
Similarly, Carolina debuted its new head coach, Dave Canales, who is the franchise’s seventh coach. “Tonight was about our rookies and first-time players. They found out it’s just football. They played hard,” Canales stated, noting that he didn’t play any of his first-teamers. “It was a great opportunity for me to talk with coaches and officials and get a feel for the communication flow.”
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the top pick in the 2023 draft, did not play, and projected backup Andy Dalton was sidelined with a strained quadriceps.
Maye took the field during the Patriots’ second series amidst light rain, receiving a warm ovation from the small crowd. He completed his first pass, a 13-yard screen to Antonio Gibson, but was high on his first deep throw, finishing the night 2 for 3 for 19 yards.
“I think I was a little nervous,” Maye admitted. “If you’re not nervous, it doesn’t mean something to you. Nerves are a good thing. After that first snap, once the whistle blew, you settle in.”
The crowd reacted with boos when Bailey Zappe came on for the Patriots’ third series, following Jacoby Brissett’s 0-for-3 performance in the first series. Zappe, who had been a fan favorite last season, said, “When it was happening the opposite way, it didn’t bother me. When it’s happening this way, it didn’t bother me at all, either.” He finished with 12 completions on 20 attempts for 108 yards.
Rookie Joe Milton III, a sixth-round pick from Tennessee, played the final quarter and a half, thrilling the crowd with a couple of scrambles. He went 4 for 6 for 54 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown pass.
For Carolina, Jack Plummer completed 11 of 21 passes for 86 yards, while Mike Boone, one of seven running backs on the roster, rushed for 34 yards on eight carries.
For some Patriots fans, seeing the team without Belichick felt strange. “It is different. That’s why we’re here tonight—I want to see what we’ve got,” said Fran Vicino, 61, who has held season tickets for 10 years.
In a matchup of last season’s two lowest-scoring teams, New England took a 7-0 lead with a 2-yard touchdown run from Kevin Harris midway through the second quarter, following a 28-yard pass from Zappe to Kayshon Boutte. Carolina finished last season with a 2-15 record, while the Patriots were tied for second-worst at 4-13 with Washington.
