The New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers didn't play the most entertaining preseason game at a rainy Gillette Stadium on Thursday night, but there were a couple exciting moments that brought fans to their feet.
Most of them were produced by rookie quarterback Joe Milton.
The University of Tennessee product was the last of the four Patriots QBs to see the field, but he led two scoring drives in the fourth quarter of a 17-3 win.
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The first ended with a field goal. Milton completed 3-of-3 pass attempts for 16 yards and also ran for 12 yards as New England moved into field goal range.
The next drive ended with the Patriots' second touchdown of the game. Milton froze the safety in the middle of the field and then found wide receiver JaQuae Jackson for a 38-yard score down the left sideline.
Milton finished with four completions on six attempts for 54 yards and a touchdown. He also picked up 25 rushing yards on two attempts.
When asked after the game if any players exceeded his expectations, Patriots head coach Jerod Mayo singled out Milton.
"I need to go back and watch the film, but the easy answer would be Joe," Mayo said during his postgame press conference. "It's been a long time -- I don't think we've ever seen a quarterback here run around as much as he did and still get the ball down field. He's one of those guys."
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Milton appreciated Mayo's comments.
"Hearing that from the head coach, thanks to him. But I feel like I got a lot more work to do," Milton said at his postgame press conference.
"There's a lot of things in the offense I need to learn and I need to learn them fast. Just being hard on myself, that's the only way I got this far. Thanks to Coach Mayo for saying that, but there's a lot of work to go. I have to keep studying, can't get complacent no matter how well the game went tonight. Just have to get ready for the next one."
The Patriots' second preseason game is next Thursday, Aug. 15 against the Philadelphia Eagles at home. It should be another opportunity for Milton to show his dynamic skill set and continue to prove he's worthy of an NFL roster spot.
"Joe went out there, we know he has a big arm and he has the athleticism. He's getting better with his reads every single day," Mayo said. "He has natural leadership ability.
"But once again, it's not just about one game. It's about the full body of work. You come out here and play well, but you also have to do it on a day-to-day basis in practice. You have to gain the confidence of not only the coaches but also your teammates. This was a step forward for him."