FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Rookie Drake Maye ran for a touchdown and led the New England Patriots on two of the team’s three scoring drives in a 14-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles on Thursday night.
No. from North Carolina. 3 overall draft pick appeared in just one series in the Patriots’ preseason opener, but played in the second and third quarters. He completed 6 of 11 for 47 yards.
“There were some good plays, there were some bad plays. There was definitely a lot to learn,” May said. “It was good to go out there and have some tapes to learn from.”
Joey Sly, competing with incumbent Chad Ryland for the starting job, made two field goals for New England. The Patriots (1-1) finished with 11 first downs, but only four came in the final two quarters.
The Eagles rallied in the fourth quarter to give the Patriots a 13-6 lead. Rookie running back Kendall Milton ran for a 1-yard score and Tanner McGee connected with Aeneas Smith for a 2-point conversion.
Jake Elliott made both field goals for Philadelphia (2-0).
Patriots Week 1 starter Jacoby Brissett looked awful in his quarterback before being replaced by May. New England went three-and-out on its first possession of the game. The Patriots’ second drive ended when Brissett was intercepted in the end zone by Philadelphia’s Avonte Maddox.
After another three-and-out, Brissett finished 3 of 7 for 17 yards.
Maye received a warm welcome from the sparse crowd at Gillette Stadium when he checked in before the start of the second quarter. He gave fans another reason to cheer after a third down with fellow freshman Javon Baker — a 12-yard toss that helped New England eventually tie it at 3 after Sly’s 51-yarder.
Maye ran 4 yards into the end zone on the first play following the two-minute warning, and New England took a 10-3 lead into the second half.
“He was very calm,” Patriots new head coach Jerrod Mayo said. “I thought it was a good run. I thought he went out there and did a lot of good things. Hopefully he can build on that and we’ll see how. This week will go.”
May’s performance got off to a shaky start in the third quarter when he fumbled a pass, but the Patriots bounced back. New England only managed one third down on third down and it came down to a defensive pass interference call.
“Abandoned photos are inexcusable to me,” Mei said.
Two days after the Eagles participated in the combine against the Patriots, Philadelphia opted to sit starting QB Jalen Hurts for the second straight preseason game. Backup Kenny Pickett played the entire first half and completed 11 of 13 passes, but only for 67 yards.
“Take the completions out there and try to move the offense,” Pickett said. “Those big plays will come soon.”
The Eagles’ lone points in two quarters came on a 42-yarder by Elliott. He added 38 yarders on fourth down.
New England inserted Bailey Chappe with 2:25 left, freshman Joe Milton III went 2 for 7 for 20 yards and the Eagles couldn’t get a first down on the next drive after the Eagles took the lead with 4:23 left. Jappé’s comeback attempt ended when a bad snap was recovered by Philadelphia with 1:47 remaining.
McGee started the second half for the Eagles and finished 15 of 19 for 140 yards. Will Grier, who spent part of last season on New England’s practice squad, was reinstated by Philadelphia coach Nick Siriani for the fourth game.
“Coach told us that was going to be the game plan before the game, and the coaches did a good job of communicating that,” McGee said. “I was ready to roll whenever they called me.”
Sock Masters
The Patriots sacked Pickett four times in the first half. The two went on back-to-back plays that resulted in Philadelphia turning the ball over on downs with six minutes left in the second quarter. Joshua Uche, Keion White, Isaiah Bolton and Detrich Wise Jr. had sacks.
is moving
For the first time since the 2020 season, the Patriots were without pass rusher Matthew Juden as a member of the organization. Was a four-time Pro Bowl selection Traded to Atlanta On Thursday, New England acquired a 2025 third-round pick.
“Judon definitely left his mark on this building. He did a fantastic job teaching the guys how he saw the game,” Wise said. “When you lose players, whether they’re released or traded, it always affects the locker room because we’re training camps. And the seasons … go through emotional team-bonding activities.”
Injuries
Eagles: OL Tyler Stein was carted off the field in the first quarter. He will not play the remainder of the game due to an ankle injury. … WR John Rose was evaluated for a concussion and eventually ruled out. Ross was targeted twice and caught one pass for 9 yards.
Patriots: Undrafted rookie WR Jacqueline Jackson was carted in the fourth and suffered a leg injury. Jackson caught a touchdown pass in the preseason opener.
next
Eagles: Host Minnesota in season finale on Aug. 24.
Patriots: Travel to Washington on Aug. 25.
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This story has been corrected to show the date of the Eagles’ next game as Aug. 24 instead of Aug. 25.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
