What happened in the New England Patriots’ preseason opener against the Carolina Panthers? Here are the key take aways from Thursday night at Gillette Stadium. FINAL SCORE: Patriots 17 – Panthers 3
— If you just look at the score, this was a positive showing from the Patriots. A solid win to open the preseason? Sure, that’s a good sign.
— But it’s only in watching this game that you would be able to truly grasp the football quagmire that unfolded for most of the night.
— If you’ve ever wanted to watch a football game where both offenses work with the spark and efficiency of a sleep-deprived teenager who was dragged out of bed, then Thursday night’s football game was just for you.
— Fortunately for Patriots fans, that changed when rookie quarterback Joe Milton III entered the game.
— As opposed to the groans and booes that sounded with Bailey Zappe running the show, Milton sparked some genuine excitement in the crowd.
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— Heck, Milton even drew a pop from the crowd when he fired a quick five-yard completion to rookie Javon Baker on his first snap of the game.
— Milton than made the most exciting play of the night when he took off running, scrambling for a full 15 seconds, eventually gaining 12 on the play.
— Shortly after, Milton had a nifty pump fake on a pass, pulling the ball down and running for an 8-yard gain. He’s fun to watch.
— The passing game finally broke out when Milton found JaQuae Jackson wide open down field for an easy 38-yard touchdown. There were only nine minutes left in the game. But it finally felt like fans were having fun with this game.
— Get ready for fans to catch Milton Mania. It’s a similar ailment to Zappe Fever and Malik Mania, which we’ve seen in recent years.
— Milton provided a spark late. But for most of the night, this was a snoozer — albeit one that the Patriots controlled.
— Preseason games have never been spectacular displays of crisp execution. But the preseason opener at Gillette Stadium felt like more of a slog than normal.
— Much of that had to do with both teams resting key starters.
— Did you want to see former No. 1 pick Bryce Young and see if he could bounce back from a rough rookie season? Too bad. You got to see undrafted rookie Jack Plummer get the start.
— Were you like most fans and wanted to see No. 3 pick Drake Maye take the field and usher in a new era of football in New England. Best we could do is one series.
— Instead, fans at Gillette buckled in for a long night Bailey Zappe running the show, starting from the third series into the game and well into the second half.
— The offense trundled along in starts and stops on the night. But it was mostly a slog to watch, chock full of punts, drops and procedural penalties.
— Here’s the crazy part: The Patriots weren’t very exciting to watch. But they looked much better than the unit the Panthers put on the field.
— Carolina looked a mess with Plummer at quarterback and an offensive line that caved against the Patriots pass rush.
— Patriots defensive lineman Jeremiah Pharms had a particularly strong showing, notching a sack in the first half.
— On the offensive side, Kayshon Boutte led the team with six targets, but ran hot and cold. He finished with 3 receptions for 58 yards, along with some clunky plays on some catchable balls.
— Maye only played one series — as did starter Jacoby Brissett. Then came Zappe midway through the first quarter.
— The new kickoff rules came into play tonight. In addition to bringing a completely different look, the new style of kickoff resulted in a lot more returns as opposed to touchbacks.
— An interesting update on the placekicker battle. Chad Ryland came in to attempt an extra point on the lone touchdown of the first half. Then Joey Slye came in to attempt a 42-yard field goal in the fourth quarter.
