FOXBOROUGH – Patriots rookie backup quarterback Joe Milton played all but the first series on Sunday in a battle of backups against the Buffalo Bills and sparked New England to a season-ending victory, 23-16. Milton rushed for one touchdown and threw for another, a 48-yard bomb to Kayshon Boutte, as the rookie made the most of his debut and showed the significant progress he's made behind the scenes since he last played in August.
The Patriots used the final game of the season to give many of their younger and inexperienced players significant playing time, as many new faces established some solid momentum as the team enters the 2025 offseason.
Still, it was a win that cost the Patriots the first overall pick in the draft and did little to change the disappointment that came with a second-straight 4-13 season.
Here's how the Patriots last game of the 2024 season transpired with Milton at the helm.
1. Defense Starts with a Stop, Milton Shines on First Career Drive
Drake Maye started the game off for the Patriots but he played only the first series while his Bills counterpart Josh Allen played just one play to extend his consecutive starts streak. As the game settled into a battle of the backups, the Patriots defense pitched run stops on both third and fourth down to get a stop on downs on the Bills first possession of the game.
Joe Milton entered the game as the Patriots took over near midfield and completed his first three passes, hitting DeMario Douglas on a crosser and Antonio Gibson on a short sit route, and then hitting Douglas again on 3rd-and-2 to keep the chains moving.
Milton continued his solid debut, completing third-down passes to Kayshon Boutte and Gibson as New England moved through Buffalo's red zone. Milton finished the drive off by keeping a read option for a one-yard touchdown score, the first of his career. Milton celebrated with a signature standing backflip, something he loved showing off during training camp's summer practices.
It was an impressive debut for the other Patriots rookie quarterback. Milton went 6-for-6 for 51 yards on the first drive of his career.
Notable personnel adjustments for the Patriots defense included rookie Marcellas Dial getting the start at cornerback along with practice squad linebacker Monty Rice, who was elevated to the active roster on Saturday and saw time on defense as part of a sub-package.
2. Bills Tie It Up
The Bills would answer with a long touchdown-scoring drive led by Mitchell Trubisky, a methodical response that lasted 13 plays and went 75 yards with a Deatrich Wise roughing the passer penalty standing out as the biggest gain of the drive (15 yards). The Patriots defense showed some good fight, with the rookie Dial making a nice goal-line tackle that forced the Bills to go for the score on fourth down. Unfortunately, Trubisky would find running back Ray Davis out of the backfield for a TD that tied the game up at 7-7.
The Patriots continued to work some new players in on the offensive side of the ball, with Tyrese Robinson entering at right guard for Mike Onwenu, while running back Terrell Jennings also entered the game in the second quarter and saw the first carry of his career with a seven-yard rush. Caedan Wallace entered the game at right tackle late in the second quarter while Tre Jacobs swapped over to the left tackle spot.
3. Milton Engineers Another Scoring Drive
It didn't take long for the Patriots to retake the lead, with Milton throwing a dime off a scramble, hitting a wide-open Kayshon Boutte back across the field late in the down. Boutte practically walked into the end zone for an electric 48-yard touchdown score that brought Gillette Stadium to life.
It was a five-play, 75-yard scoring drive that took just 2:59 and it made for back-to-back scoring drives both led by Milton. The first he ran in himself and on the second he showed great awareness and his signature arm strength in getting the ball down the field for the big scoring play. He continued his torrid starting pace, going 9-for-9 for 122 yards with both a passing and rushing touchdown.
The Bills added a field goal on an eight-play, 49-yard drive in the second quarter as the Patriots took a 14-10 lead into the locker room at the half.
4. Back and Forth in the Third Quarter
The Patriots forced an opening drive punt by the Bills, but their solid start in the third quarter quickly switched fortunes when Milton and Gibson fumbled a handoff exchange and Buffalo pounced on the loose ball. The Bills took over at New England's 16-yard line and didn't take long to punch the ball into the end zone for their first lead of the game, 16-14 after a missed extra point by Tyler Bass.
The Patriots retook the lead after Milton bounced back to lead another scoring drive, doing damage with his legs and picking up a key third down with a scramble along the way. Joey Slye split the uprights on a 41-yard field goal to give the Pats back a 17-16 lead.
Slye would add another 42-yarder to extend New England's lead to 20-16 in the fourth quarter after Milton engineered a 70-yard drive, the Patriots fourth scoring drive of the game out of seven possessions.
Javon Baker had the first catch of his career in the second half while backup offensive lineman Lecitus Smith took over at right guard for the previously inserted Tyrese Robinson. The Patriots did plenty of rotation with their younger players while still leaning on gritty performances from established veterans like Austin Hooper and Antonio Gibson both of whom gave exemplary efforts.
5. Pats Hold On
The Patriots defense came through with a fourth-down stop late in the fourth quarter with just over five minutes remaining in the game to hold any Buffalo comeback attempt at bay. A strong pass breakup by the recently promoted practice squadder Miles Battle was a key play that ignited plenty of celebration on the Patriots sideline.
After Milton and the Patriots offense punted for just the third time in the game, Buffalo had another chance for a comeback, getting the ball back with 4:18 to play, but again the Patriots defense would get a stop and force a punt. Alex Erickson's 26-yard return helped set New England up for a 50-yard field goal that extended New England's lead to 23-16.
The Patriots defense pitched a final fourth-down stop to close out the Bills and the 2024 season.
6. Patriots Finish 4-13
With the win, the Patriots finish the season with an identical 4-13 record to their 2023 season finish but most notably, New England will not be picking first overall in April's draft. The Patriots will still have a top-five selection which will be determined following Sunday's games and have 10 projected draft picks to still ensure they have plenty of draft capital to move around the board in April.
The Pats are also projected to have a league-high in salary cap space and should also be able to make plenty of impact moves in free agency. Rookie QB Drake Maye showed plenty of promise this season, now protecting him and putting impact weaponry around him should be atop the team's priorities while also giving significant attention to the defensive side of the ball that needs reinforcement. Perhaps the greatest takeaway from this final mostly meaningless game is that Milton might be able to man the back-up quarterback spot next season.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
