FOXBOROUGH – Before Thursday night’s season opener against the Carolina Panthers, Patriots coach Jerod Mayo indicated that all available players would play.
This means that all four quarterbacks would be used.
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Jacoby Brissett was considered the starter before training camp, and nothing has changed that would remove that distinction. Brissett, who knows Alex Van Pelt’s system because he played in Cleveland, has distanced himself from the field during training camp.
Still, most eyes were on rookie Drake Maye. As a player the Patriots selected with the third overall pick and expected to become the next franchise quarterback, his first outing against another team and how he handled the pace of an NFL game was another key checkpoint.
Although Maye has made progress so far and has occasionally demonstrated his talent and playing ability, he is still far from being a finished product.
Bailey Zappe is pretty much a known quantity.
As for rookie Joe Milton, he is a fascination for players because of his bazooka arm and athleticism.
How did each player perform in the Patriots’ 17-3 preseason victory? What, if anything, was learned from it?
Jacoby Brissett: He was on the first series, and that was it. After Rhamondre Stevenson ran 11 yards down the right side on the first play, things went downhill from there. Brissett then dropped back for his first throw, and it was a bit too high for tight end Mitchell Wilcox, who couldn’t hold on to the slippery surface. On the next play, Brissett, after wasting his first option, tried to hit Tyquan Thornton down the right sideline. Cornerback Lamar Jackson interrupted. On the third attempt, Brissett dodged the rush and deftly threw the ball away. So it was officially 0-for-3. Not much could be deduced from that, other than the offensive line wasn’t protecting particularly well.
Drake May: He entered the game on the second offensive series to a loud roar. Offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt held the starting offensive line out. Essentially, Maye was asked to hand the ball off and make safe throws. He hit Antonio Gibson for a screen pass that went 13 yards. Reagor couldn’t catch Maye’s next attempt, which slipped out of his hands. His third pass was a dump off to Kevin Harris for six yards. So a first down, and that was it. That was the extent of Maye’s action, too. So, like Brissett, it was difficult to make an accurate assessment. There was a false start penalty against right tackle Chuks Okorafor during the series, but it seemed to be mostly Okorafor’s fault.
Why didn’t Maye play more often? At first glance, it seems like the coaches didn’t trust the second line of attack that played in the third series. Other than that, it didn’t make any sense. The rookie needs to get as much play as possible in the preseason. How else is he going to learn? How else is he going to improve? This decision by the coaching staff was disappointing to say the least.
Bailey Zappe: The man who started Zappe fever in New England and elsewhere was greeted with boos. The boos weren’t necessarily directed at him. Fans were expressing their displeasure at Maye being pulled after one series. Still, it was a cruel turn of events considering that two years ago, fans had booed Mac Jones in favor of Zappe.
Zappe played the remaining five series in the first half, completing 9 of 16 passes for 79 yards. And he began the second half – once again greeted with boos. He finished the series with 12 of 20 passes for 108 yards (two sacks) before handing the baton to rookie Joe Milton late in the third quarter.
Zappe, for his part, made some nice plays and hit Kayshon Boutte with some well-placed throws. On the other hand, some of his passes inexplicably missed. He led a touchdown drive after a turnover that ended with a two-yard run by Kevin Harris.
Joe Milton: The crowd cheered when the sixth-round rookie entered the game. And he didn’t disappoint. He showed plenty of composure – even against third- and fourth-string players – as he led an 11-play, 44-yard touchdown drive on his first series. He went 3-of-5 on that drive, and wasn’t helped by a drop from Boutte. He showed some flair on short passes to running back Terrell Jennings and some skill on a 12-yard run. The latter showed his athleticism as he took a long route to elude potential tacklers behind the line of scrimmage before running for a dozen yards.
His star rose even more during his second series, when he led a 75-yard touchdown drive that culminated with a 38-yard touchdown pass to JaQuae Jackson. Milton showed off his arm on this play with a beautiful throw to a completely free Jackson on the left side. Granted, this wasn’t against a starter or backup, but he made the most of his opportunity. He finished the game 4 of 6 passing for 54 yards and a touchdown.
