Drake Maye scores first NFL touchdown and other Patriots preseason game observations against Eagles
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo finally gave the people what they have been wanting. And that's more Drake Maye. The rookie quarterback got a lot of time on Thursday and showed a lot of promise. He even got his first NFL touchdown. Yes, it's the preseason, but it still counts! […]
FOXBOROUGH, Mass – New England Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo finally gave the people what they have been wanting. And that's more Drake Maye.
The rookie quarterback got a lot of time on Thursday and showed a lot of promise. He even got his first NFL touchdown.
Yes, it's the preseason, but it still counts! And the game ended as an Eagles win, 14-13.
Here are the top takeaways from the Patriots preseason matchup against the Eagles, starting with Maye's top play.
1. Drake Maye gets his first touchdown
Patriots fans have been waiting to see what Drake Maye can do. And he finally got an opportunity to show it on Thursday night.
On his second drive of the night, Maye finished off a nice few plays with a four-yard touchdown run.
2. Maye gets reps with the starting O-Line
The crowd went wild when Maye was sent out for the Patriots fourth drive of the game. And what made it even better was he was getting reps with the starting offensive line.
The only change was David Andrews came out and was replaced by Nick Leverett.
But otherwise it was Vederian Lowe at left tackle, Sidy Sow at left guard, Mike Onwenu at right guard, and Chukwuma Okorafor at right tackle.
Throughout camp, Maye has been playing mainly with the second-team offensive line and because of that, he hasn't been able to truly show what he can do. But tonight was different.
With some time in the pocket, Maye was able to find fellow rookie Javon Baker on a nice pass for 12 yards.
Maye's Final stats
Passing:
6/11
47 yards
Rushing:
4 carries
15 yards
1 TD
Even Dan Orlovsky was impressed.
3. Josh Uche and Keion White provide hope
On Wednesday, the Patriots traded star linebacker Matthew Judon to the Atlanta Falcons. And the next day, the team had to go out and compete for the first time in a while without Judon at least on the sidelines helping hype the team up.
With his departure, there were two players that everyone expected to step up: Josh Uche and Keion White.
And in the first half, both Uche and White recorded a sack on Eagles quarterback Kenny Pickett.
This is exactly what the pass rush needed to do after Patriots Nation lost a clear fan-favorite.
4. Worst showing of the summer for Brissett
Brissett only got three drives in the preseason game before he was replaced by rookie quarterback Drake Maye. And this was certainly not the performance he wanted to have after a solid summer.
Brissett went three-and-out on the first drive, followed by an interception on the second drive. And then on the third, he went three-and-out once again.
He finished going 3-for-7 for 17 yards.
Jacoby Brissett throws an ugly INT
On the second drive, the Patriots had solid field position, so Brissett was able to get the team down the field and into the red zone. But he made a bad decision that resulted in a turnover.
Brissett tried to locate Austin Hooper, but the tight end was completely swallowed up in coverage. The quarterback still threw the ball and it was picked off by Eagles cornerback Avonte Maddox.
Not the best decision in that moment.
5. Kicking Competition Update
If you ask any of the coaches, they will say the kicking competition between Joey Slye and Chad Ryland is pretty even.
But based on the way things have gone during the past two preseason games, it appears that there is one clear kicker who is ahead.
During the first game, the Patriots sent Slye out for the only field goal of the game. And then on Thursday night, they did the same thing, allowing the veteran to attempt a 51-yard field goal.
It was good!
And then when the team needed another field goal in the fourth quarter, they turned to Slye once again who was good from 45 yards.
While they have both had some missed, at this point it appears Slye is more reliable from longer distance, which considering how the Patriots' offense is looking, might be a good thing.
6. The play that almost was
Normally a play that wasn't caught wouldn't be included in the takeaways. But this one is, simply because of how well Maye threw the ball.
It was almost a wow play, as Maye sent the ball deep to fellow rookie Javon Baker, and the receiver had the ball in his hands, but couldn't haul it in when he hit the ground.
It was a catch that Baker should have had.
7. Oshane Ximines' impressive preseason continues
Ximines has been a standout during camp, and has certainly earned his spot on the roster. If that wasn't evident before, the team needs him more than ever after losing Judon.
And he proved how much he can help with a nine-yard sack on Thursday night.
8. UDFA JaQuae Jackson carted off in fourth quarter
After replacing Drake Maye, Joe Milton attempted to locate undrafted free agent JaQuae Jackson along the sideline but the receiver was injured on the play. He remained down, appearing to be grabbing at his leg and trainers rushed over to tend to him.
After some time, the cart was brought out, and the team rushed over to wish the receiver well as he left the field.
Shortly after, it was announced that he would not be returning.
9. Offense is more disciplined
Vederian Lowe had the only penalty for the Patriots on Thursday, getting flagged for a false start.
This was a huge improvement after numerous penalties in the first preseason game against the Panthers, along with a lot of flags getting thrown during joint practice on Tuesday.
10. Little time for Bailey Zappe
Joe Milton took over for Maye in the fourth quarter and on with less than five minutes remaining, the team sent the sixth-round rookie back out. But they had one more chance with two minutes remaining, and this time it was Zappe who came out.
He had a chance to lead the team down and potentially get the win, but the offensive line let him down as he was strip-sacked and the Eagles recovered.
