The New England Patriots marked their first game in 24 years without Bill Belichick as coach by beating the Carolina Panthers 17-3 in their pre-season opener on Thursday.

Kevin Harris’ rushing touchdown in the second quarter was the only scoring of the first half, with the Patriots extending their lead in a low-scoring contest when kicker Joey Slye added a 42-yard field goal early in the fourth quarter.

JaQuae Jackson snagged rookie Joe Milton’s pass for a 38-yard touchdown to move the Patriots further ahead, while the Panthers’ only points came when Harrison Mevis made a 41-yard field goal with seven minutes remaining.

Quarterback Drake Maye – the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft – played just one series in his debut for New England, completing two of his three passes for 19 yards before being replaced by Bailey Zappe during the first quarter.

“That was always the plan,” new head coach Jerod Mayo said of Maye’s short stint. “The plan was to get him in there for one series.”

On making his debut, Maye said: “I think I was a little nervous. I think if you’re not getting nervous, then it doesn’t mean something to you. That’s how I look at it. I think nerves are a good thing. After you get that first snap, they blow the whistle at the end of the first play, you kind of settle in.”

It was the first time since January 2000 that the Patriots were in action without Belichick, who led them to six Super Bowl titles, as head coach. Mayo became the NFL’s youngest coach when he was announced as his successor last year.

Carolina also played its first game under new coach Dave Canales, while quarterback Bryce Young – the top pick for the 2023 draft – didn’t feature for the Panthers.

Elsewhere, New York Giants running back Eric Gray rushed for two touchdowns in the second quarter in a 14-3 win over the visiting Detroit Lions.

Gray, a fifth-round draft pick in 2023, made a 48-yard burst and added a one-yard score among his 98 yards from scrimmage. Quarterback Tommy DeVito replaced an injured Drew Lock late in the first quarter and led New York on both scoring drives.

Detroit’s points came on Jake Bates’ 53-yard field goal late in the first quarter. Lions QB Hendon Hooker, a third-round pick in 2023 who missed last season recovering from a torn ACL sustained while at Tennessee, finished with a team-high 34 yards rushing during the one quarter he featured in.

Watch NFL preseason live on Sky Sports. The Las Vegas Raiders travel to Minnesota Vikings on Saturday (live from 9pm on Sky Sports Action), before the Jacksonville Jaguars host Super Bowl champions Kansas City Chiefs (live from midnight on Sky Sports Mix). Stream the NFL and more with NOW.