The New England Patriots’ first preseason game against the Carolina Panthers on Thursday night was mostly dull, marking the beginning of the Jerod Mayo era for the team. Given that the majority of the starting players on both sides didn’t play much, if at all, one could assume that there wasn’t much to learn from the contest.
In such case, you would be mistaken. Now for our conclusions after the Patriots’ 17-3 victory.
The Panthers are not a good squad, and many of their players were not used, therefore defence rules the game. On the defensive end of the ball, the Patriots’ dominance was still evident. They only let Carolina convert two of their 14 third-down attempts, which allowed them to get off the field often. They finished with five sacks overall.
The absence of Christian Barmore and Matthew Judon off the pitch meant that the team was without two of its finest players. It didn’t matter since the Patriots controlled the whole game and produced a number of noteworthy plays.
“They play with a lot of energy,” head coach Jerod Mayo said after the contest. Overall, I think we were the most physically demanding squad playing today. The offensive line comes first, followed by the defensive line. It all begins up front. They performed very well, in my opinion.
This defence is the only thing that will allow the rebuilt Patriots squad to succeed consistently this season. DeMarcus Covington, the new coordinator, should have his team back to its former glory if Thursday night is any guide. The Panthers game doesn’t demonstrate how excellent they are, but the preliminary findings were nevertheless positive.
Questions about playing time: Examining players in competitive settings should be possible throughout the preseason. Bailey Zappe was on the field for 36 of the 65 offensive plays, which is the most of any quarterback by a wide margin. It seems like the Patriots squandered that chance by playing him for an excessive amount of time.
It’s not enough time for a guy who seems to require as many repetitions as possible, and the team’s decision to only give Drake Maye one drive also detracts from the performance of the receivers. Joe Milton and Maye are capable of doing some things that Zappe, who has been playing with the third-string offence, is unable to accomplish. Why not check the children’s abilities? Why would you spend so much time playing Zappe?
After the game, Jerod Mayo said, “It was about opportunity.” It has to do with opportunity. Zappe walked out there and, see, he had previously won NFL games. However, I felt it was wonderful that Joe was brought in at a point when we needed a spark, and he supplied it.
Zappe went 12-for-20 for 108 yards at the game’s conclusion. Starter Jacoby Brissett was 0-for-3, Joe Milton 4-for-6 for 54 yards and a score, and Drake Maye 2-for-3 for 19 yards.
That quarterback use doesn’t seem very sensible from the outside. Zappe playing seven series makes less logic than even Brissett playing several. Getting them to practice together for a considerable length of time would be logical given the Patriots’ offensive changes and large number of new players.
That being said, there was something strange about what the Patriots did on Thursday night.
Coach Judon: On Thursday night, Matthew Judon left an impression even though he didn’t play any snaps. He was captured by the CBS cameras encouraging Oshane Ximines, another edge defender, after he was tackled inside on an outside run. The major reason the Patriots should want to retain Judon around is because that’s the kind of leadership they want to see from him.
The hope is that he and the organisation can get beyond all of this and ultimately agree on a new deal.
Oshane Ximines was an off-the-radar acquisition made by the Patriots during off-season. During training camp, he performed really well in his first game action on Thursday night and soon gave the impression that he may be a force for the squad. Although he wasn’t playing against a whole starting offensive line, it’s still encouraging to see him perform well.
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They could have an end similar to Keion White step in as Christian Barmore is sidelined for the foreseeable future. In such case, they would also have a lot of depth outside due to the existence of Ximines.
Kayshon Boutte is up and down: The individuals vying for a slot at wide receiver are very competitive, with Boutte, a second-year player, at the bottom of the depth chart. Boutte had a few very good plays in the first half, one of which was a third-down high-point catch after Bailey Zappe’s pass.
Sadly, he also failed on two third-down throws in the second half that would have resulted in first downs. Although both receptions were rather difficult, he has to demonstrate his ability to make them on a regular basis if he hopes to get the roster.
Linebacker is another position where there is some competition at the bottom of the depth chart, although Joe Giles-Harris is a talented player. Joe Giles-Harris presented a compelling argument for himself to be included to the squad as one of the last players against Carolina. In addition to being a dynamic pass-blocker who seemed to be a sure tackler, he was also active with his hands.
Players like Giles-Harris may have a legitimate chance of making the club if they can perform well in the preseason since the Patriots’ depth below Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jahlani Tavai, and an injured Sione Takitaki is still a work in progress. Certainly, on Thursday, the 27-year-old did.
Vederian Lowe took Caedan Wallace’s spot last week in training camp. Wallace, a third-round rookie, had been practicing with the first team offence at right tackle and later left tackle. Following his trade acquisition to the Patriots during the conclusion of the preseason, Lowe had a difficult rookie season in 2023. On Thursday evening, the outcomes were very same.
However, Wallace seemed to be a reliable left tackle while he was in there. It may be time to transfer him back to the first-team offence to secure a left tackle spot that is still very much up in the air for the club. In fact, he seemed to struggle worse when he moved to right tackle.
Flashes from David Wallis: Undrafted rookie receiver David Wallis took advantage of the Patriots’ lack of regular punt return players on Thursday night. He seemed to move fluidly out there and had a few excellent returns. He completed two punt returns for 36 yards in total, and he also ran a kickoff back for 24 yards.
Given that he did not see any targets in 19 offensive plays, is it sufficient to get him onto the active roster, particularly at his competitive main position of wide receiver? Most likely not, but it may put him on the practice squad where he might be called up later this year or give him an opportunity to compete for a roster position in 2025.
Zabazooka Joe Milton: Drake Maye only got one series, but when the Patriots finally let one of their rookie quarterbacks go for a longer amount of play, he did not disappoint. Joe Milton, a sixth-round pick, seemed like he made some pretty smart choices while handling the ball: he wasn’t pushing passes and wasn’t scared to create some plays with his legs.
“After the game, I felt like the team and the coaches worked really hard to get us where we need to be, especially at quarterback.” Milton expressed this sentiment. The attention to detail was highly valued by the OC, Coach [Alex Van Pelt], T.C. McCartney, and Ben McAdoo. Your feet and eyes don’t match, therefore you should be able to follow your feet wherever they lead you and go on if they don’t.
Therefore, you should be able to trust the guidance, the people in your immediate vicinity, and the information they are imparting. the ability to just be present and absorb everything.
He was undoubtedly assisted by playing against the Panthers’ third-string defence, but Milton continued to look downfield even as he moved in the pocket. Before the Patriots’ game the following week, he seemed to have performed well enough to be the team’s third-string quarterback.
Eagles arrive in town: The Eagles will visit the Patriots for a joint practice on Tuesday before they face them at home on Thursday. The way the team handled those combined practices under Bill Belichick, Jerod Mayo’s former head coach, suggests that this practice might be even more significant than the game on Thursday; it should feature the first teams playing against one another, something that might not occur in the exhibition match.
On Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. ET, attempt to make it out to Gillette Stadium to see the practice. It’s a fantastic opportunity to watch how the Patriots perform against a top club. There might be a nice chance for people to prove that they belong on the roster this season, and the atmosphere should be high.
