The New England Patriots started their preseason Thursday night with a last-second loss to the New York Giants.
With quarterback Mac Jones and most of the Patriots’ starters sitting out, the preseason opener was a chance to see what the rookies bring to the table. It also gave a glimpse of the players who could see an increase in their roles in the 2022 season.
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Rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe pulled off an impressive drive late in the fourth quarter and gave New England the lead with a 20-yard touchdown pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey. Unfortunately for the Patriots, Davis Webb and the Giants had enough time to put together a game-winning drive. Graham Gano’s field goal sealed the win after time ran out.
Here are some takeaways from the Pats’ 23-21 loss. They will host the Carolina Panthers in next Friday’s preseason game, with kick-off scheduled for 7 p.m. ET.
Matt Patricia, Joe Judge, split play-calling duties
One of the biggest offseason stories for the Patriots was their decision to forego the appointment of an offensive coordinator to replace Josh McDaniels. Instead, Matt Patricia and Joe Judge split those spring and summer responsibilities, with Patricia being named Senior Football Adviser/Offensive Line Coach and Judge, and earning the title of Offensive Assistant/Quarterbacks Coach.
The trend continued Thursday night as Patricia and Judge combined offensive play-calling duties as a team. Patricia called plays on offense to start the game with Brian Hoyer in the middle, then Judge took over when rookie quarterback Bailey Zappe entered the game.
As our Phil Perry pointed out, head coach Bill Belichick spent a lot of time with Zappe on the sidelines. With McDaniels out of the picture, we got to see a lot more of Belichick working with his QBs throughout the season.
Belichick is talking to Zappe a lot while Judge stands by.
Belichick obviously trains all positions. But the quarterback was forever the realm of Josh McDaniels. I can’t remember how many times I’ve seen Belichick talk to a QB like that for a long time. https://t.co/T8aHKU13CV
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) August 12, 2022
A night of ups and downs for the defense
It was an uneventful night for the Patriots defense, but there were some bright spots.
One of them was a forced fumble from cornerback Terrance Mitchell that led to a Giants turnover in the second quarter. Super Bowl XLIX hero Malcolm Butler had the recovery.
The Patriots linebackers were the defensive stars. Third-year edge rusher Josh Uche fired Giants QB’s Daniel Jones early, and Anfernee Jennings gave Jones a big hit in third to force a field goal during the first drive of the game.
Mack Wilson, acquired during the offseason that sent Chase Winovich to the Cleveland Browns, flew team-high with seven tackles all over the field. Another standout was rookie defensive tackle Sam Roberts, who contributed a handful of QB pressures, including one that led to Uche’s sack.
Aside from Mitchell’s forced fumbling, it was a rough night for New England’s secondary school. The group failed to capitalize on several passes that were deflected in the air in what should have been an easy interception. Joejuan Williams was burned for a touchdown, beaten later in the game and required a face mask. Shaun Wade dropped a pickaxe and ricocheted another potential INT off his helmet.
Bailey Zappe has successful debut
Bailey Zappe’s first game in the Patriots uniform got off to a shaky start, but the fourth-round rookie draft pick found its groove in the second half.
Zappe started the third quarter with a 36-yard completion by 2021 in the seventh round from Tre Nixon (four catches, 81 yards).
The Zappe-Nixon connection was shown again a few plays later, this time for 32 yards. The drive ended with a touchdown for rookie running back Kevin Harris.
Zappe’s biggest mistake of the night came early in the fourth quarter when he had to deflect and intercept a pass off the line. He made up for that mistake late in the fourth quarter with a 20-yard TD pass to Lil’Jordan Humphrey (six catches, 62 yards) that gave New England the lead.
The Houston Baptist/Western Kentucky product’s final stat line: 19/32 for 205 yards, a TD and an INT.
Tyquan Thornton makes a solid first impression
Tyquan Thornton, the Patriots’ second-round pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, wasted no time in impressing in his unofficial pro debut.
Thornton scored the Patriots’ first points of the preseason with a touchdown reception to close out the first quarter. The former Baylor star showed off his impressive route running as he fought his way through a defensive holding penalty for the TD.
Thornton also showed his quick release when he earlier went for a deep ball from Brian Hoyer but the pass was batted away. Still, it was a good look at the speed and distance running ability he’s displayed at camp so far.
Quiet night for the running game
Except Harris goal-line TDthe Patriots couldn’t get much on the ground.
Fourth-round rookie Pierre Strong Jr. had six carries for 25 yards. JJ Taylor added five carries for 16 yards, and Harris was ineffective outside of his TD, raking in just nine yards on six carries. Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson had the night off.
New England’s running game was a positive takeaway from Tuesday’s practice as it began to thrive with the perimeter scheme. We didn’t see much of that in the preseason opener, so we’ll keep that in mind going forward as Belichick continue with the new-look offense.