Drake Maye, the third pick in the 2024 draft, had a series in his debut for New England on Thursday night, and the Patriots played their first game in 24 years without Bill Belichick as head coach, beating the Carolina Panthers 17-3 in a preseason game.
New England’s new coach, 38-year-old Jerod Mayo, dressed in a white Patriots short-sleeved sweater, became the NFL’s youngest coach when he was hired on Jan. 12, a day after Belichick agreed to leave the organization.
It was the first time since Jan. 2, 2000, that the Patriots played without Belichick on the bench. He led them to six Super Bowl titles. “That was always the plan,” Mayo said of Maye’s brief appearance in the game. “The plan was to have him there for a series.”
Carolina also played its first game under a new coach, with Dave Canales making his debut.
“Tonight was about our new guys, the rookies who haven’t had a chance to play in the NFL yet. I think what they figured out tonight is: It’s just football. They ran and played hard,” Canales said after none of his regulars played. “For me, it was just a great opportunity to be able to talk to the coaches and the officials. … It was just great practice for me to understand the flow of communication and be able to work through all that.”
Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the top pick in the 2023 draft, did not play. Planned backup Andy Dalton had to sit out due to a strained quadriceps.
Maye trotted onto the field in a light rain for the Patriots’ second series and received warm applause from the sparse crowd. His first attempt, a block to Antonio Gibson for a 13-yard pass, was successful. He was high on his first throw down the field and finished the night 2 of 3 passing for 19 yards.
“I think I was a little nervous,” Maye said. “I think if you don’t get nervous, it means nothing to you. That’s how I see it. I think nervousness is a good thing. After you get the first snap and you get the whistle blown at the end of the first play, you kind of get into your stride.”
The crowd booed when Bailey Zappe came on the field for the Patriots’ third series. Jacoby Brissett, who is expected to start the season opener, went 0 for 3 on the first series.
“When it happened the other way around, it really didn’t bother me,” said Zappe, who was a fan favorite last season when many wanted to bench former Pats QB Mac Jones. “When it happened that way, it didn’t bother me at all, either.”
Zappe, who played much of last year, completed 12 of 20 passes for 108 yards. Rookie Joe Milton III, a sixth-round pick from Tennessee, played the final quarter and a half and wowed the crowd with a few runs, completing 4 of 6 passes for 54 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown.
Jack Plummer completed 11 of 21 passes for 86 yards for the Panthers, and Mike Boone, one of seven running backs currently on the roster, had eight runs for 34 yards.
For some Patriots fans, it was unusual not to see Belichick on the sidelines. “It’s different. That’s why we’re here tonight, because I want to see what we can do,” said Fran Vicino, 61, a Patriots season ticket holder for 10 years.
In the other game of the night, Tommy DeVito replaced the injured Drew Lock late in the first quarter and led New York to two first-half touchdowns, capped by runs of 48 and one yard by Eric Gray, as the Giants defeated the Detroit Lions 14-3 in a season opener that featured mostly reserve players.
