10 takeaways from the Patriots’ preseason opener
What did we learn from the Patriots’ preseason opener? Here are 10 key takeaways.
Live football returned to Gillette Stadium on Thursday night, when the New England Patriots hosted the Carolina Panthers in the preseason opener for both teams. It was a 17-3 Patriots win, but as always in the preseason the outcome was inconsequential.
“This game didn’t count, but it mattered,” was the message from head coach Jerod Mayo to his players for this one, he revealed after the game. Because while the score may not hold any weight, the individual performances certainly do as players try to improve and as the team works to cut the roster down from 90 players to 53.
Keeping that in mind, what stood out on Thursday night? Here are 10 key observations and takeaways…
QB usage
Those hoping to get a look at the projected present and future of the Patriots’ quarterback position likely came away from Thursday night disappointed. The Patriots only gave one series to projected Week 1 starter Jacoby Brissett, followed by just one series for third overall pick Drake Maye. Both drives ended in punts.
After the game Jerod Mayo told reporters that was the plan all along, in part due to the offensive line. That reasoning may not bode well for the two seeing extended time for the preseason moving forward either, with the line not about to get any major upgrades in the next week or two.
Bailey Zappe saw most of the time at quarterback, playing from late in the first quarter to midway through the third. That included a two-minute drill at the end of the first half. Joe Milton finished the game and threw the lone touchdown, but the team elected to not give him a two-minute rep at the end of the game and instead kneel the ball out.
QB evaluations
We’ll start with Jacoby Brissett and Drake Maye’s evaluations, because they’re the quickest – and thus limited. Brissett did a good job navigating a pocket that was inconsistent and quicky-collapsing. Despite being able to create time and space for himself he still struggled with accuracy, going 0-for-3 including an underthrow to Tyquan Thornton who got open on a deep ball.
Maye’s best play (on three pass attempts) came on a third-down screen, when he was able to get the ball off cleanly despite having a defender in his face (more on that later). On the ensuing third down, he was quick to check down to Kevin Harris in the flat rather than standing in and trying to push the ball to the sticks.
Bailey Zappe was able to move the ball a bit, but struggled to extend drives on third down. He was 3-of-7 for 44 yards passing on third down while taking a sack on a 3rd & 1, ending 3-of-8 on conversions on the day. His plus throws and bad misses about evened out.
Joe Milton gave Patriots fans a taste of what made him a must-watch player at Tennessee. He had a 12-yard scramble that saw him run probably more than double that in total, and threw the lone touchdown pass of the game – a 38-yard connection up the sideline with rookie JaQuae Jackson. It was an impressive performance but the biggest question with Milton isn’t in-game ability, but rather consistency. He’ll need to show he can make those kinds of plays on a regular basis moving forwards.
Offensive line questions in focus
The offensive line questions the Patriots have faced in practice carried over to the game on Thursday night – especially at tackle. Vederian Lowe got the start on the left side, and multiple times got walked back into whichever quarterback he was in front of. Chuks Okorafor was better at right tackle, but did have an early false start penalty.
On the second unit, Caedan Wallace got reps at both left and right tackle. There were some rookie moments, but he did show signs of progress. Calvin Anderson got extensive usage as well, struggling at times in pass protection.
Things were better in the middle, most notably with backup center Nick Leverett continuing a strong summer. Still, overall this is a group that has a long way to go to establish its ‘best five,’ despite Jerod Mayo saying the team hopes to do so by the second preseason game.
Kayshon Boutte’s up-and-down night
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte came into the preseason opener after stringing together a few strong practices late last week into early this week. Thursday night was a great chance for him to continue stacking days, and make a strong push towards a roster spot.
Did he do that? It’s tough to say. It certainly looked like it in the first half, when he caught three passes for 53 yards, highlighted by a strong hands catch over his head followed by a significant gain on the ground.
However, late in the first half he failed to adjust to a deep ball from Bailey Zappe on a third down, then had two drops in the second half. Did the good outweigh the bad in the eyes of the Patriots’ decision-makers? The best thing Boutte can do now is come out to practice this week and look more like the player he was in the first half (as he did last week), proving the second half was the anomaly.
Penalties
As has been the case in practice, penalties – in particular procedural penalties – were a problem for the Patriots in this game. In total they were called for nine penalties for 61 yards. That includes false starts by Chuks Okorafor and tight end La’Michael Pettway, an intentional grounding by Bailey Zappe, and a delay of game. This is another element of the game the Patriots’ coaching staff will have to continue to work on cleaning up before the regular season.
Flexing front depth on defense
With star players in and out of the lineup due to injuries and contract disputes so far this camp, the Patriots’ depth defensive front players have had plenty of chances to show what they can do – and have made the most of their opportunities. That continued Thursday night.
The Patriots’ most impressive defensive player – and maybe their most impressive player overall Thursday night – was defensive tackle Jeremiah Pharms. Pharms regularly found his way into the backfield, most notably as a pass rusher. Christian Barmore was the Patriots’ best interior pressure creator, so to be able to get that kind of contribution elsewhere is key.
On the edge, Oshane Ximines continued what has been a strong camp. He had multiple pressures as a pass rusher, and also had a big hit in coverage on special teams. He’s doing everything he can to this point to make the roster.
Veteran poised to stick in the secondary
Cornerback Shaun Wade has flown under the radar a bit in this camp – maybe because he was in a red non-contact jersey for most of the practices – but he’s been solid. He had his best practice on Tuesday, then played well in the game Thursday night. He got the start, which is typically a good sign, and almost had an interception. The Patriots will need slot cornerback depth behind Marcus Jones, and Wade is their only other true slot corner if Jonathan Jones is going to play on the outside. So far, Wade has shown he’s up for the role.
Kickoffs
Getting to watch the new kickoff rules in person for the first time, the big thing that stood out to me was how bang-bang these plays are. Multiple times it looked like a returner had a clear lane as he was about to hit the hole, only for it to immediately close up. Early on it looks like punt return skills – quickness on top of straight-line speed – may apply more to kickoffs now than before. Also, the players on the edge defensively are as important as ever, because it’s easier for returners to get all the way to the outside than it was in the past.
Kickers
The kicker battle is still close after Thursday night. Chad Ryland attempted and hit both extra points, while Joey Slye got the lone true field goal attempt of the game and converted from 42 yards. The Patriots alternated the kickers for each kick (as well as kickoffs), so there may not be as much to read into in terms of Ryland getting PATs while Slye got the one field goal.
New intro
Finally, there were some in-house presentation changes at Gillette Stadium – mainly in terms of music. ‘O Fortuna’ and ‘Crazy Train’ by Ozzy Osborn weren’t played during the Patriots’ walkout. Instead it was an instrumental resembling a dramatic version of ‘Dream On’ by Aerosmith, followed by ‘Let’s Go’ by Trick Daddy and Lil John (a song that samples Crazy Train). ‘For Those About To Rock’ by AC/DC was still played just before kickoff, ‘Baba O’Riley’ by the Who just before the kickoff of the second half, and ‘This Is Our House’ by Bon Jovi was still the touchdown song.
