Patriots fans hyped as Drake Maye runs to score his 1st TD of the season vs Eagles - "Make him the starter" 

Drake Maye and the New England Patriots took to the field during the second week of the 2024 preseason hoping to build a good offensive performance ahead of the season opener. While Maye isn't going to start for the Patriots in Week 1, his development is the main theme of the season.

And the Patriots quarterback had a great day. He was sharp with his decisions, his accuracy was great and he had excellent movement in the pocket. For a quarterback who was stepping into an NFL field for just the second time in his career, it was an impressive display by Drake Maye.

Patriots fans know that this is going to be a tough season based on the roster. So, to watch their rookie quarterback delivering a good performance, even if it was just the preseason, had them in joy on Thursday.

Here are some of the reactions from fans on X/Twitter:

"Good smooth drive. These rookie quarterbacks been performing well this preseason", said one fan.

"Dual threat, as he did this a lot on the goal line at UNC, especially last year", said another one.

"Kid is an absolute stud," one fan added.

The rookie finished the night with six completions out of 11 pass attempts for 47 passing yards, 15 rushing yards and a rushing touchdown. He should've had a deep touchdown pass in a perfectly placed ball, but Javon Baker had a drop.

Drake Maye could be the sole reason for Patriots fans to be excited in 2024

For Drake Maye and the New England Patriots, it's a new dawn. They joined forces after the draft, where the Patriots grabbed him with the No. 3 overall pick. New England fans were extremely excited about the team's pick and believed that they would finally be able to replace Tom Brady after four years of unsuccessful tries.

The feeling around the franchise is different now. While Belichick's hard coaching style is not a secret to anyone who has followed the NFL for a long time, and it worked when they were winning with Tom Brady on the roster; when you're losing and your coach follows a hard line, players aren't always going to take it.

The franchise traded Matt Judon and won't have Christian Barmore for the year. Results may not go the way fans hope for, but developing the quarterback will be important, though.