Drake Maye led two first-half scoring drives and the Patriots defense turned in a second-straight disruptive performance with four first-half sacks and three fourth-down stops but it wasn't quite enough as New England fell to the Philadelphia Eagles 14-13 in the second preseason game of the summer.
Maye rushed into the end zone to score the first touchdown of his (preseason) career, while getting far more snaps than he saw last week against the Panthers. He showed good zip on a third-down throw to Javon Baker, while showing off his athleticism on two runs that included his touchdown.
There were just enough flashes to remind fans of Maye's vast potential.
Despite the loss, it was an encouraging performance for a Patriots team that needed a boost of positivity after a tough week that included a challenging joint practice and departure of one of the team's defensive leaders.
Here's the Rapid Recap of the plays and players that stood out and defined the team's second preseason game.
1. Brissett's End Zone Interception Ends Early Patriots Scoring Chance
The two teams traded three-and-outs to start the game but the Patriots were able to get an early field position advantage thanks to a 62-yard punt that went out of bounds at Philly's one-yard-line.
The Pats' second possession started at the Eagles 39-yard-line and they put together a plodding nine-play drive, primarily sticking to the ground with six run plays to just two passes to get all the way to Philadelphia's eight-yard-line where they faced a third third down on the drive.
Brissett dropped back to pass with good time in a clean pocket but his pass intended for Mitchell Wilcox was undercut by the defensive back and intercepted, returned all the way out to the Eagles' 45-yard line.
Kenny Pickett then led an eight-play, 38-yard drive that ended with a 42-yard field goal that gave Philly the 3-0 lead.
It was a quick turn of fortune for the Pats, who were on the verge of getting an early touchdown from their top offensive unit. Instead, it was the kind of game-altering turnover that kept the offense searching for their stride.
Brissett played three first-quarter drives, going 3-of-7 for 17 yards and an interception.
2. Maye Leads Two First-Half Scoring Drives
Rookie third-overall pick Drake Maye entered the game to start the second quarter and quickly made a nice throw on third-and-5, connecting with Javon Baker for a 12-yard gain on a dig route. Maye would miss Baker on a second third down, taking a shot down the sideline forcing the Pats to settle for a 51-yard field goal by Joey Slye that tied the game.
Maye's first scoring drive was aided by a roughing the passer penalty but also featured the rookie helping the offense overcome a false start penalty by Vederian Lowe.
A fourth-down sack by Deatrich Wise Jr. helped give the ball back to the Maye-led offense near midfield with just under six minutes left in the second quarter.
Maye would lead another scoring drive, with nice plays including a quick pass to Ja'Lynn Polk that picked up seven yards and a well-blocked 14-yard run by Kevin Harris. Polk made two defenders miss after the catch as the rookie joined Javon Baker by making his impact felt. Most impressive was how the offense overcame a 3rd-and-11 with a 23-yard screen pass to JaMycal Hasty that was wide open.
Maye would finish off the drive himself, keeping the ball on a read option and rushing for a four-yard touchdown that gave the Patriots a 10-3 lead. It was an intriguing glimpse of the the athleticism that Maye has and how the coaching staff can put it to use.
It was a reassuring first-half appearance by Maye. Certainly not perfect, but enough of a sample size to remind everyone why he was the third overall pick. He went 5-for-7 for 47 yards and two carries for 10 yards and a touchdown on two drives in the second quarter.
3. Maye Continues Into Second Half
Maye's second half appearance got off to a tougher start, beginning with a botched snap from center Nick Leverett that immediately backed up the offense. Mishandled snaps have been a too frequent occurrence this summer for the Patriots and this one helped stall the team's first drive, though the team overall played a fairly clean game with the starting offense committing just one penalty.
Facing third-and-long Maye teed up a deep pass again targeting Javon Baker but the rookie receiver couldn't corral the pass as it hit off his hands. It was a tough catch but one that Baker made his fair share of in college. It's a growing trend that Maye has no problem throwing it up to Baker to let him make plays. Unfortunately this almost big play didn't quite connect.
After the defense's third fourth-down stop of the game, Maye took the field for his fourth series of the game. Facing another 3rd-and-long Maye took another shot up the sideline to Baker who drew a pass interference penalty that allowed the drive to continue. He wouldn't be so lucky on the next third down, taking an eight-yard sack by Nolan Smith as the Eagles quickly collapsed the pocket around Maye.
That would conclude Maye's night, a solid performance to build off of.
4. Milton and Zappe Get Late Looks
The Eagles put together their first scoring drive since the first quarter, adding another field goal and cutting the Patriots lead to 10-6 early in the fourth quarter. That set the stage for New England's other rookie quarterback, Joe Milton, to enter the game off of an excellent kickoff return by undrafted rookie David Wallis, going for 53 yards.
On his first possession, Milton would pick up one first down, converting to Wallis with a 12-yard pass, but the drive would stall. Still, Wallis' yardage on the kickoff return and the one catch were enough to set up Joey Slye's second field goal, this one good from 45 yards. That made it 13-6.
After an Eagles three-and-out, the Milton-led offense turned in a three-and-out of their own and sloppiness began to seep into the Pats' performance with another botched snap, a play change that resulted in the quarterback going the wrong way and 10 men on the field that required a timeout.
The Eagles responded by taking the lead on the next drive, thanks to a strong performance from former Patriots practice squadder Will Grier, who engineered a seven-play, 70-yard touchdown-scoring drive with a two-point conversion tacked on that made it 14-13 Eagles with just under five minutes to play.
Milton and Bailey Zappe would each get a chance to overcome the one-point deficit but could not put together a scoring drive. The Patriots' third botched snap of the game went thru Zappe's legs, the Eagles pounced on it and were able to end the game.
5. One More Preseason Game To Go
It was a needed performance from the Patriots as Drake Maye showed promise and the defense continues to terrorize opposing quarterbacks and come through in key moments. After a week of tough practices and mounting questions the Patriots put together a solid preseason response.
Now, just one preseason game remains, next Sunday in Washington against the Commanders. The Patriots will hold three practices Saturday-to-Monday then have Tuesday off before starting a more regular-season-like practice schedule later in the week.
The season opener in Cincinnati is rapidly approaching and while a preseason win never provides firm answers that will unquestionably translate to real games, there was plenty build off of, especially with the team's younger players, many of whom showed growing promise.
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