Back to the New England Patriots Newsfeed

New England Patriots win first game without Bill Belichick in over 24 years

By Ben Morse, CNN

(CNN) — The New England Patriots won their first game in over 24 years without legendary coach Bill Belichick in charge, beating the Carolina Panthers 17-3 in their opening preseason game on Thursday.

It was the debut for Patriots first-year head coach Jerod Mayo, as well as the team’s first-round pick in this year’s NFL Draft, quarterback Drake Maye.

The No. 3 overall pick played just one series in the first quarter, completing two of his three passes for 19 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions before spending the rest of the game on the sideline.