Patriots Ups & Downs: Who stood out in the preseason opener against the Panthers?
FOXBORO — The New England Patriots kicked off their 2024 preseason with a 17-3 win over the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium. Here are 10 players we graded “UP” or “DOWN” based on their performance on the field…
UP: QB Joe Milton III
After a mostly sleepy game for the Patriots’ quarterbacks, Milton came in late in the third quarter and injected some much-needed excitement into the game. And he eventually threw the only touchdown pass of the game, a 38-yard laser to JaQuae Jackson. Milton ultimately went 4-of-6 passing for 54 yards and the touchdown, good for a 134.7 passer rating.
The postgame takes on Milton compared to the other QBs will most certainly get silly in some corners of the media and the internet. It’s important to remember that he was playing against third-and-fourth-string players that may not even be in the NFL this season. But the rookie is having a good camp, probably better than expected, and he’s proving worthy of holding onto and developing.
DOWN: QB Jacoby Brissett
Brissett was 0-of-3 passing on his only drive of the game in the first quarter. He threw it too high for tight end Mitchell Wilcox, underthrew a deep ball for Tyquan Thornton, and threw it away on the last play. Brissett has looked better than that in camp, and he mentioned that he felt the communication was good for the group. But if that’s how he and the starting offense looks in the regular season, it’ll be hard to watch.
UP: WR Kayshon Boutte
Boutte has been coming on strong this week, stringing together a few good practices and translating that to the game. The second-year pro caught 3-of-6 targets for a team-high 53 yards on the night, as he played with both Bailey Zappe and Joe Milton. Boutte is making a case late in the summer to snag one of the last receiver spots on the depth chart.
DOWN: OT Chukwuma Okorafor
Okrafor played two possessions at right tackle. On his second, with Drake Maye, he committed a false start penalty. “Honorable” mention goes to left tackle Vederian Lowe, who struggled in pass protection. Both starting tackles are off to a shaky start in game action.
UP: RB Rhamondre Stevenson
Stevenson made the most of his only touch of the game, taking a stretch zone run to the edge and up the sideline for an 11-yard gain. He’s made a lot of runs like that in recent padded practices. Stevenson could be in for a big year. They better keep him healthy.
DOWN: TE Mitchell Wilcox
Wilcox caught only 1-of-4 targets on the night for five yards. He’s had a good camp and should still be in the lead to make the team as a third tight end, but it wouldn’t be surprising to see rookie Jaheim Bell get a bigger opportunity after this game.
UP: LB Anfernee Jennings
Jennings has always been a well-rounded player, and he showed why in his limited action on Thursday night. He logged one total tackle in the box score, but also knocked the ball out from Panthers quarterback Jack Plummer on a play that was initially ruled a strip-sack. Jennings also set a solid edge against the run. He’s an underrated piece of the Patriots defense and looks ready to have his best season yet.
DOWN: WR Jalen Reagor
Reagor caught just 1-of-2 targets for three yards, and his only punt return went for a 2-yard loss. If tonight’s game has any bearing on Reagor’s chances of making the team out of camp, the arrow is pointing down on him.
UP: DT Jeremiah Pharms Jr.
Pharms generated the initial sack that was a near-fumble in the first quarter, and added four total tackles, including one for a loss of yardage. That was encouraging to see, for a Patriots defense that is likely without Christian Barmore for extended time.
DOWN: OT Calvin Anderson
Anderson negated what would’ve been a nice one-handed catch by rookie receiver Javon Baker with a holding penalty. The veteran played both left tackle and right tackle, but as a backup. He’s still in line for a roster spot as a swing tackle, but it wasn’t an inspiring night for the veteran.
MORE: Patriots preseason will put their offensive line situation in context
UP: DE Oshane Ximines
Ximines jammed the stat sheet with a sack, two total QB hits, three tackles, and a forced fumble. He’s well on his way to making the 53-man roster with the summer he’s having in New England, after spending the previous five seasons with the New York Giants.
DOWN: TE La’Michael Pettway
Pettway didn’t get targeted in the passing game and committed a false start penalty. He certainly didn’t do anything to help his chances of making the team on an already-top-heavy tight end depth chart.
Matt Dolloff is a writer and digital content producer for 98.5 The Sports Hub. Read all of his articles here.
