Ruins of Pompeii.

[Soapy]

Pompeii is an ancient Roman city in Italy that was buried by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. The Patriots are a once storied franchise buried by the retirement of Tom Brady and the firing of Bill Belichick.

Pompeii has remained buried for almost 2,000 years. So this gonna be a chise to be the first team to go 0-17?

whatever it takes to pair maye with travis hunter

[Captain Canada]

that pain gonna hit like crack when travis goes the pick for you

[Baze]

From the Ashes.
Ruins of Pompeii.

I see a little theme going on here.

[Soapy]

that pain gonna hit like crack when travis goes the pick for you

brother?

From the Ashes.
Ruins of Pompeii.

I see a little theme going on here.

and then i'll rise and fight again.

[Soapy]

Drake Maye makes QB debut as Bill Belichick-less Patriots beat Panthers 17-3 in preseason game
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — Drake Maye, the third overall pick in the 2024 draft, played one series in his debut with New England on Thursday night, and the Patriots played their first game in 24 years without Bill Belichick as coach, beating the Carolina Panthers 17-3 in a preseason game.

New England’s new coach, 38-year-old Jerod Mayo, dressed in a white short-sleeved Patriots’ pullover, became the NFL’s youngest coach when he was hired on Jan. 12, one day after Belichick agreed to depart as coach and left the organization.

It was the first time since Jan. 2, 2000, that the Patriots played without Belichick on the sideline. He led them to six Super Bowl titles.

“That was always the plan,” Mayo said of Maye's short stint. “The plan was to get him in there for one series.”

Carolina also played its first game under a new coach, with Dave Canales making his debut as the franchise’s seventh.

“Tonight was about our first-time guys, the rookies, the guys that haven’t had a chance to play in the NFL. I think what they found tonight is: it’s just football. They ran and they played hard,” Canales said after not playing any of his first-teamers. ”For me, it was just a great opportunity to be able to talk to the coaches, talk to the officials. ... It was just great reps for me to just get the flow how the communication happens and being able to work all through that."

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, the top pick of the 2023 draft, didn’t play. Projected backup Andy Dalton was sidelined with a strained quadriceps.

Maye trotted onto the field with light rain falling for the Patriots’ second series and got a nice ovation from the sparse crowd. He completed his first attempt, a screen to Antonio Gibson for 13-yard pickup. He was high on his first throw down the field, ending his night 2 for 3 for 19 yards.

“I think I was a little nervous,” Maye said. “I think if you're not getting nervous, then it doesn't mean something to you. That's how I look at it. I think nerves are a good thing. After you get that first snap, they blow the whistle at the end of the first play, you kind of settle in.”

The crowd booed when Bailey Zappe came onto the field for the Patriots' third series. Probable season-opening starter Jacoby Brissett went 0 for 3 in the first series.

“When it was happening the opposite way, it really didn't bother me,” said Zappe, who was a fan favorite last season when many wanted former Pats' QB Mac Jones benched. “When it's happening this way, it didn't bother me at all, either.”

Zappe, who played a good portion of last year, went 12 for 20 for 108 yards. Rookie Joe Milton III, a sixth-round pick from Tennessee, played the final quarter and a half, thrilling the crowd with a couple of scrambles. He was 4 of 6 for 54 yards, including a 38-yard TD.

Jack Plummer completed 11 of 21 passes for 86 yards for the Panthers, and Mike Boone, one of seven backs currently on the roster, had eight carries for 34 yards.

For some Patriots fans not seeing Belichick on the sideline felt unusual.

“It is different. That’s why we’re here tonight because I want to see what we’ve got,” said 61-year-old Fran Vicino, who has held Patriots season tickets for 10 years.

In a matchup of the NFL’s two lowest-scoring teams last season — they both averaged 13.9 points — New England took a 7-0 lead on Kevin Harris’ 2-yard TD run midway into the second quarter after Zappe hit Kayshon Boutte with a 28-yard toss down the left sideline.

Carolina finished with the worst record last year, going 2-15. The Patriots were tied for second-poorest, at 4-13, with Washington.

[djp73]

Preseason? Just skip to the real games.

[The JZA]

Preseason? Just skip to the real games.

Let this man build! NFL 25 is already an ass game, he's working hard over there trying to rebuild a legacy outta snafu!

[Soapy]

Preseason? Just skip to the real games.

Let this man build! NFL 25 is already an ass game, he's working hard over there trying to rebuild a legacy outta snafu!

Thank you, JZA. They don't make statues of critics, they don't make statues of fans.

let me cook

[djp73]

[Soapy]

Drake Maye leads Patriots on 2 scoring drives in 14-13 preseason loss to Eagles
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- — Rookie Drake Maye ran for a touchdown and led the New England Patriots on two of the team’s three scoring drives Thursday night in a 14-13 preseason loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.

The No. 3 overall draft pick out of North Carolina appeared in just one series in the Patriots' preseason opener, but played the second and third quarters of this one. He finished 6 of 11 for 47 yards.

“Had some good things and had some bad plays. Definitely a lot of things to learn from,” Maye said. “It was good to go out there and have some tape to learn from.”

Joey Slye, who’s competing with incumbent Chad Ryland for the starting job, kicked two field goals for New England. The Patriots (1-1) finished with 11 first downs, but just four came in the last two quarters.

The Patriots were leading 13-6 in the fourth quarter when the Eagles rallied. Rookie running back Kendall Milton ran for a 1-yard score and Tanner McGee connected with Ainias Smith on the go-ahead 2-point conversion.

Jake Elliott also kicked two field goals for Philadelphia (2-0).

Patriots projected Week 1 starter Jacoby Brissett was underwhelming in his one quarter before being replaced by Maye. New England went three-and-out on the game’s first possession. The Patriots' second drive ended when Brissett was intercepted by Philadelphia’s Avonte Maddox in the end zone.

After another three-and-out, Brissett was done and finished 3 for 7 for 17 yards.

Maye received a nice ovation from the sparse crowd at Gillette Stadium when he checked in before the start of the second quarter. He gave the fans even more a reason to cheer after connecting on third down with fellow rookie Javon Baker – a 12-yard toss that helped New England eventually tie it at 3 after Slye's 51-yarder.

Maye went into the end zone from 4 yards out on the first play following the two-minute warning, giving New England a 10-3 lead heading into the second half.

“He had great composure," Patriots rookie head coach Jerod Mayo said. “I thought it was a good drive. 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 goes.”

Maye’s performance in the third quarter got off to a shaky start when he fumbled the exchange, but the Patriots recovered. New England managed just one third down in the third and it came on a defensive pass interference call.

“Dropped snaps are inexcusable for me,” Maye said.

Two days after the Eagles participated in a joint practice against the Patriots, Philadelphia chose 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 for only 67 yards.

“Just taking the completions that are there and try to move the offense," Pickett said. “Those big plays will come sooner rather than later.”

The Eagles' lone points through two quarters came on a 42-yarder by Elliott. He added a 38-yarder in the fourth.

New England inserted Bailey Zappe with 2:25 remaining after rookie Joe Milton III went 2 of 7 for 20 yards and failed to lead the offense to a first down on the ensuing drive after the Eagles took the lead with 4:23 left. Zappe’s bid at a comeback ended when a bad snap was recovered by Philadelphia, which ran out the remaining 1:47.

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, went 3 for 5 for 35 yards for Philadelphia coach Nick Sirianni re-inserted McGee in the fourth.

“Coach told us that was going to be the game plan before the game and the coaches did a good job communicating it,” McGee said. "I was just ready to roll whenever they called me.”