Joe Milton replaces Drake Maye after one series, does backflip after ...

FOXBORO -- Drake Maye started for the New England Patriots in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Buffalo Bills. But he didn't play for very long.

The quarterback has wrapped up his rookie season for the Patriots after playing just a single series against Buffalo, departing after New England went three-and-out on its first possession.

Maye is the future of the Patriots and keeping the quarterback healthy is of the utmost importance for the 3-13 Patriots. (That, and losing Sunday's game and clinching the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft.) So Maye was on the field for just three snaps -- and one penalty -- on Sunday.

Fellow rookie Joe Milton III replaced Maye at quarterback for New England. 

Drake Maye plays one series for Patriots in Week 18

The Patriots got the ball first after the Bills won the toss and deferred to the second half. Maye led the offense onto the field at a pretty empty Gillette Stadium.

Maye handed off to Antonio Gibson for two yards on first down, before guard Layden Robinson was hit with a false start on second down. (Center Cole Strange was late to snap the ball, so the penalty wasn't completely on Robinson.) 

Maye was off mark with a short pass to tight end Austin Hooper on his second-and-13 pass, and was then sacked by veteran Von Miller on third down to end New England's drive. It was the 34th time that Maye was sacked during his rookie season.

It's unclear why the Patriots played Maye at all, but Jerod Mayo will certainly be asked about his line of thinking after the game. 

Maye finishes his rookie season with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions, along with 421 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on the ground.

Joe Milton leads Patriots on touchdown drive in first NFL action

Milton -- whom the Patriots drafted in the sixth round in 2024 -- replaced Maye and helped the Patriots march 55 yards down the field for a touchdown. The QB connected on all six of his passing attempts for 51 yards, and capped off the drive with a one-yard touchdown run after faking a second-and-goal handoff to Gibson.

More impressive than his touchdown run was Milton's celebratory backflip.

That touchdown gave the Patriots an early 7-0 lead, though the fans in attendance didn't seem too enthused about that go-ahead score. The Bills tied the game at 7-7 early in the second quarter, before Milton put New England back on top with a 48-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte.

Milton completed his first 11 passes before throwing his first incompletion. He was 12-of-13 for 139 yards in the first half, and had the Patriots on top, 14-10, at the break.

The Patriots entered Week 18 atop the 2025 NFL Draft board, but a win could drop them down far as the fourth overall pick.

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