Mostly, Milton showed how much he had progressed and developed from training camp and the preseason. His footwork, accuracy and quarterback play in general had improved. Like Maye, he developed well under offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt and QB coach T.C. McCartney.

Milton was 22 of 29 passing for 241 yards and a touchdown in his first Patriots appearance, and ran for another TD. "It was a lot of fun to watch,” veteran quarterback Jacoby Brissett said.

His replacement? Fellow rookie quarterback Joe Milton III—who started his NFL career off with a bang. After immediately leading his offense down to the one-yard line, the former Tennessee Volunteers phenom took a zone read option across the goal line for a score. He then celebrated with this sweet backflip.