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.

The next Patriots regime will need to decide if Joe Milton III did enough in Sunday's win to prove he can be the team's backup quarterback next season.