6 takeaways from the Patriots’ preseason finale
Here’s a look at what we learned from the Patriots’ preseason finale on Sunday night.
The Patriots’ preseason wrapped up on Sunday night, with the team taking on the Washington Commanders in their lone road game of the summer. Unlike most teams in the NFL – who treat this final game as a simple ‘run-out-the-clock’ operation, the Patriots used it as an opportunity to get most of their roster on the field.
While Washington sat 34 players the Patriots only had a handful of players not in uniform, most of whom were hurt. So there was a chance to evaluate some more consequential players for the Patriots – albeit against lesser competition.
Who stood out, and who made a roster push in their final audition? Let’s get to the final Patriots takeaways of the preseason…
A lot to like from Drake Maye
Sunday night was the longest look fans have gotten at rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and the third overall pick delivered. He finished the game 13-of-20 for 126 yards and a touchdown, with another three carries for 17 yards.
As long as he was in the game, Maye looked in control. He played his game, making throws on the run and creating other opportunities with his legs, highlighted by his converting 3rd & 14 on a scramble.
The most impressive moment for Maye came at the end of the first half, when he got a chance to run a two-minute drill. Those situations have been Maye’s biggest issue in training camp practices, but he led the offense down the field in this game setting. The drive probably should have ended in a touchdown but the Patriots’ offensive line couldn’t get lined up correctly, an issue that was prevalent all night (more on that in a bit). For a preseason game though, the individual execution is notable.
However, the most encouraging part of the night was that Maye did all of this despite the offense falling apart around him at times (again, more on that in a bit). That ability to cover up deficiencies elsewhere in the offense and elevate players around him is what made Maye such a highly-regarded prospect coming out of UNC. He’ll need to prove he can do that consistently rather than just show it on one drive, but it was still an encouraging theme throughout the night.
Jacoby Brissett’s injury
Jacoby Brissett played just one series in this game, but was involved in what may end up being the most talked about moment from this game. Brissett took a hit on a blown blocking assignment, resulting in a sack.
Brissett stayed in the game making two more throws, but continued to grab at his shoulder. The Patriots officially announced him as questionable to return with a right shoulder injury, which was purely academic as he was only expected to play one or two drives anyway. He did stay on the sideline in uniform for the rest of the game. Jerod Mayo said after the game Brissett would have been able to return if the team needed him to, but that he’ll be reevaluated on Monday.
Even if Brissett ends up being fine for Week 1, what happened Sunday night is a reminder of a looming question for the Patriots – if Brissett gets hurt before the Patriots are ready to start Drake Maye, what happens? Would Maye take over, or would they put a veteran in as a buffer? Mayo didn’t give a straight answer to that when asked after the game, but the team’s roster moves in the coming days should give us an indication – mainly whether or not they keep four quarterbacks on the initial roster.
Offensive line a mess
As encouraging as Drake Maye’s performance was, the offensive line performance was as or more discouraging. It wasn’t just their production (they allowed the one sack and four quarterback hits while paving the way for the Patriots to run for 5.3 yards per carry), but the way they operated.
The Patriots were called for 18 penalties total in this game (including those that were declined by Washington), with 11 of those being committed by the offense. Of those 11, 10 were committed by offensive linemen. That includes four illegal formation penalties (three on left tackle Chuks Okorafor, who repeatedly lined up too far behind the line of scrimmage) and a false start.
Those penalties weren’t it for simple operational issues from the offensive line. There were two bad snaps from Nick Leverett – one out of shotgun, one under center. There were also multiple occasions where offensive linemen stepped on Maye’s feet as he was in his drop back and they were dropping into their pass sets.
Coming away from Sunday night it’s clear there’s a lot for the Patriots to clean up on the offensive line between now and their season opener in two weeks. They may also need to do so while working with a new combination up front after starting guard Sidy Sow suffered an injury and left in a walking boot. Offensive line coach Scott Peters has his work cut out for him.
Receiver standouts, good and bad
It was a mixed night for the Patriots’ receivers. Players on the bubble didn’t make much of a push, with Jalen Reagor and Kayshon Boutte both having instances where they ran sloppy routes. Boutte not playing much until late in the game doesn’t bode well for his roster chances. Tyquan Thornton had a miscommunication with Maye on a third down.
Meanwhile, rookie Ja’Lynn Polk closed the summer strong. He had two catches for 33 yards, and had another 13-yard catch brought back by holding. Polk’s most notable play came late in the first half, when he caught an intermediate over in stride from Drake Maye off an under center play action look. For Patriots fans looking ahead, that’s the play to watch. The first-round quarterback to the second-round receiver, on a call that is bread-and-butter for new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. That right there is the vision the team is building towards.
Defensive bubble
Meanwhile, things went much better for the bubble players on the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris stood out as a big winner, highlighting his night with an interception but also playing well as a run defender. However, he got hurt during the game.
William Bradley-King helped his case as well. The Patriots project to go into the season thin on the edge, so his skills as a pass rusher (combined with this special teams ability) make him a strong roster candidate.
Meanwhile, Trysten Hill put himself in an interesting spot. He committed a bad illegal blindside block penalty on Bradley-King’s interception, away from the play. That lack of awareness may give the coaches something to think about at one of the deeper positions on the roster.
Kickers
Coming into Monday night Joey Slye seemed like the clear leader in the kicker battle over Chad Ryland. The coaching staff gave him a couple of chances to land a definitive blow, with a 64-yard attempt at the end of the first half and a 60-yarder at the end of the game. However, he missed both. Ryland got one 38-yard attempt and an extra point, and hit both.
With those kicks, Slye finished the summer 43-of-54, going 25-of-33 from 40-plus. Ryland was 41-of-54, with a 19-of-29 mark from 40 plus (counting PATs in games as 33-yard field goals). Slye seems like he should have the inside track still, but will Ryland’s status as a recent fourth-round pick factor into the decision-making? We’ll know soon enough.
