Foxborough, MA – The Patriots and Colts played to a 13-13 tie in Thursday night's preseason opener at Gillette Stadium after holding a joint practice with Indy earlier this week.
With each passing year, it feels as though fewer frontline players participate in the NFL's preseason, with QB Drake Maye and the Patriots starters taking 25-plus practice reps against the Colts starting defense in practice on Tuesday. New England will have a similar cadence next week, too, when they'll host the Eagles for back-to-back days of joint practices ahead of their preseason game vs. Philadelphia a week from Saturday.
The Colts and Patriots rested all their regulars on Thursday night, with Maye, WR A.J. Brown, and DT Milton Williams headlining a list of 31 Patriots who didn't see the field. Given how the two teams handled preseason game No. 1, the main takeaways center on playing time, usage, and who didn't play for the Patriots on Thursday night. Mainly, star cornerback Christian Gonzalez was among a group of eight Patriots who weren't in uniform and didn't have lockers set up inside the home team locker room at Gillette Stadium.
Earlier this week, Gonzalez appeared hobbled after taking a hard fall while contesting a pass to WR Romeo Doubs in the back corner of the end zone in Monday's practice. Gonzalez, who is seeking a contract extension as he enters his fourth NFL season, was then held out of Tuesday's joint practice with the Colts and joined DT Christian Barmore, LB Christian Elliss, CB Charles Woods, LS Julian Ashby, WR Kyle Dixon, EDGE Harold Landry III (PUP), and S Brenden Schooler (NFI) as players who weren't in uniform on Thursday night.
Speaking to reporters after Thursday night's preseason matchup with the Colts, head coach Mike Vrabel shed some light on Gonzalez's absence.
"Christian [Gonzalez] was in a group of many players that weren't here tonight," Vrabel said. "Christian was physically unavailable for the practice. That's the clarification. Just like other players. Everybody has a plan here, there were other guys that were in that same category. If you want to list the names: Christian Elliss, Brenden Schooler, Harold Landry, Christian Barmore, et cetera. So make sure they're all included. They were all in the same group."
Before we zoom in on the players who did participate in Thursday night's preseason game, the status of New England's star cornerback is the lead story. On Saturday, the Patriots will return to practice after a day of reviewing film, so we'll see if Gonzalez returns. As for the game and joint practice with Indy, Vrabel offered some big-picture thoughts on a competitive week with the Colts in town.
"It's good work. Hopefully, everybody came out as clean as possible. That's a good football team. They run the ball well, are good up front, and gave us multiple looks defensively throughout the practice. It was good to work with them and try to have a productive game," Vrabel said.
Here are eight takeaways from the Patriots first preseason game against the Colts on Thursday night.
1. Player of the Game: Second-Year WR Kyle Williams Flashes Potential vs. Colts
One hot-button topic at Patriots training camp this summer is how New England's top brass will sort through a crowded wide receiver room when rosters are trimmed down to 53 players on Aug. 30.
The Patriots rested A.J. Brown, Romeo Doubs, and DeMario Douglas on Thursday night. However, the other four wideouts who signify a group that's seven deep saw some action, with Efton Chism III (30 snaps), Kyle Williams (25 snaps), Kayshon Boutte (14 snaps), and Mack Hollins (10 snaps) all seeing playing time. Given that they ranked first and second in wide receiver snaps last season, it was noteworthy that Boutte and Hollins got some run in the first quarter, with Boutte's name continuing to come up in trade rumors.
Although Chism (20-yard catch on third down) and Hollins (two catches, 24 yards) made plays, Williams flashed his potential with several impressive routes that created downfield separation. Williams finished the night with two catches for 37 yards and a touchdown but backup QB Tommy DeVito underthrew another potential long completion when Williams was open deep down the left sideline.
On his 12-yard touchdown catch, Williams dusted Colts CB Johnathan Edwards with a sudden crossover release at the line of scrimmage to create immediate separation on a fade route. Vrabel highlighted Williams's field-stretching speed and explosive release package as traits that last year's 69th overall pick brings to the table that are unique to the wide receiver room. Williams showcased his big-play ability and was the top standout on Thursday night from this perspective.
2. Patriots First-Round OT Caleb Lomu Plays 39 First-Half Snaps in Preseason Debut
The Patriots first-rounder got his first taste of the NFL preseason by playing 39 snaps at right tackle. On initial viewing, Lomu allowed one quarterback pressure and was on the scene for a stuffed run while a 24-yard gain bootleg completion to TE Eli Raridon was negated by Lomu being an ineligible man downfield. The refs were calling those tightly, as RG James Hudson was flagged for the same infraction later in the game.
On Lomu's pressure allowed, it appeared that Hudson thought the Patriots were running the ball when backup QB Tommy DeVito carried out a play-action fake. Hudson climbing to the second level forced Lomu to pinch inside onto DT Colby Wooden and the 6-4, 273-pound Wooden powered through Lomu to apply pressure on DeVito – there might've been a mix-up where Lomu thought he'd get more help from Hudson.
Overall, Lomu seemed to handle his 1-on-1 matchups with edge rushers Michael Clemons and George Gumbs Jr. while showing good awareness to pick up a second-level blitzer on one rep in pass protection. We'll dig into Lomu's debut even more in After Further Review.
3. Breaking Down Second-Rounder Gabe Jacas's Debut and the EDGE Rotation
Moving down the list in the order in which they were drafted, we also got our first preseason look-in at second-rounder Gabe Jacas on Thursday night. Jacas logged a run stuff and might've altered an Anthony Richardson throw that CB Kindle Vildor intercepted in the first half (see below) but there were also some rookie moments. Jacas is a power-oriented player who plays full tilt to the whistle, which is mostly a positive, but his over-aggression hurt him at times vs. the Colts.
On a 22-yard read-option keeper, Richardson was reading Jacas and baited the rookie into vacating his edge by crashing down to tackle the running back. Jacas also let TE Alec Ogletree go on a delayed release to pressure Richardson and Ogletree released into the flat on a screen that gained 17 yards – Jacas will need to learn to manage his aggressiveness in those situations.
As for the edge rotation, it was notable that Jacas and seventh-rounder Quintayvious Hutchins got the start followed by mostly second-half reps for Bradyn Swinson and Jesse Luketa. With Dre'Mont Jones, Harold Landry III (PUP), Elijah Ponder, and Xavier Holmes sitting out, Thursday night's EDGE rotation could be an indication of how the coaching staff currently views that room.
4. Rookie TE Eli Raridon Showcases Potential in Preseason Debut vs. Colts
Although the box score shows the third-rounder caught only one of four targets for eight yards, the eye test was more encouraging for Raridon, who had some bad breaks in the passing game that led to a pedestrian statistical performance. Most notably, Raridon had a big reception called back after Lomu was called for an illegal man downfield. The Notre Dame product was wide open in the flat on a bootleg concept and took off down the field to pick up 24 yards, the type of "take off" route he has stood out on in practice.
Raridon also made himself available quickly against a blitz on his 8-yard catch and threw a good block on RB Jam Miller's 15-yard run, the Pats longest run of the night, where he combo'd out to the play-side corner and sustained his block in space to spring Miller for a big gain. Again, it wasn't a huge statistical performance for Raridon but he flashed explosiveness and blocking ability in his 35 snaps.
5. New Pre-Game Development Headlines Patriots RB3 Competition
Behind top backs Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson, the Patriots have an open camp competition ongoing for the third running back spot. Unfortunately, the leader and incumbent in the race, Terrell Jennings, was placed on season-ending injured reserve by the team before Thursday night's game. New England added vet RB JaMycal Hasty and Hassan Haskins over the last few days, with Jennings and undrafted rookie Myles Montgomery (waived-injured) no longer on the active roster.
Due to the depth at running back thinning out, the third running back spot feels like a two-horse race between seventh-rounder Jam Miller and second-year RB Lan Larison. Larison got the bulk of the work with 40 snaps on Thursday night while Miller led the team with 14 carries for 55 rushing yards. On the ground, Miller was the more effective back, with a 15-yard run where he got the edge and more speed into the line of scrimmage to grind out dirty yards. However, Larison had six catches for 38 yards and returned kickoffs.
Based on their styles and usage in Thursday night's game, a competition between Larison and Miller could come down to the type of back the Patriots want to keep on their roster. Larison seems better suited for a sub-package, receiving-back role, with the ability to contribute on special teams, while Miller is a more traditional early-down ball carrier. The coaching staff's preference on the style of third running back might determine who wins the job out of camp.
6. Backup QB Tommy DeVito Starts for the Patriots in Preseason Opener
After having a strong start to the summer, including multiple deep completions in Tuesday's joint practice, QB Tommy DeVito played the entire first half. DeVito's downfield accuracy was inconsistent compared to what we've seen in camp. Most notably, he underthrew a deep pass just before halftime when Williams beat Colts CB Johnathan Edwards on a go route. If he had led Williams upfield, the second-year wideout had a chance at a touchdown. In practice, DeVito's deep accuracy has been impressive. However, the Pats top backup sprayed more throws than usual in Thursday night's preseason tilt.
7. Quick-Hitters From Pats-Colts
- Top IOL backup Ben Brown was in good spirits in the post-game locker room after leaving Thursday night's game with an injury. Brown was walking with a slight limp but wasn't wearing any visible braces or walking boots. He's a key cog in the Patriots building out their interior O-Line depth, which is thin behind starters Alijah Vera-Tucker, Jared Wilson, and Mike Onwenu.
- The run game wasn't overly effective, with Miller (14 attempts, 55 yards) and Larison (seven attempts, one yard) averaging 2.7 yards per rush. Although it wasn't the Pats top O-Line, you'd still like to see more movement in the run game. The Pats were decent in short-yardage, with Miller going 2-for-2 on fourth-down runs.
- Rookie QB Behren Morton wasn't perfect with some sprays on short throws but I liked his quick release and in-stride ball placement on the 19-yard crosser to Prentice in two-minute.
- Two minor nitpicks on Williams's performance: Vrabel mentioned him working back toward the under-thrown deep ball to possibly draw DPI and he allowed a stuffed run (failed crack block).
- LB K.J. Britt flashed with a great two-play sequence where he had a run TFL and forced a fumble by chasing down QB Anthony Richardson on a scramble.
- WR Efton Chism III ran a snappy crossing route on third down with shades of Julian Edelman in the way he re-stemmed into the defenders' body and stayed level coming across the field.
- CB Karon Prunty's physicality stood out when he pressed a perimeter block to blow up a wide receiver screen.
- WR Cameron Dorner does a nice job high-pointing the deep ball and surviving the ground. He has shown that in practice, too.
- DT Eric Gregory had a nice interior pressure to force an under-thrown deep ball that S John Saunders intercepted.
- EDGE Bradyn Swinson batted down a fourth-down pass after knifing into the line of scrimmage for a big stop. Swinson had three pressures in 23 pass-rush snaps – not bad.
8. K Andy Borregales Misses Three Field Goals and Other Special Teams Takeaways
From a special teams perspective, second-year K Andy Borregales went 2-for-5 on field goals with misses from 56, 55, and 49 yards. The 49-yard miss came late in the fourth quarter with a chance to win the game. It's worth noting that Borregales and holder Bryce Baringer are working with a new long snapper, Niko Lalos, who is filling in for injured LS Julian Ashby. We'll give Borregales some leash since he's had a good camp and is working with a new long snapper but Vrabel was a little more critical post-game:
"We're expected to make them. That's pro football. They're banging them in from 60 yards. They got two kickers on the roster, so Andy knows that we have to make those," Vrabel said.
A few other special teams notes: Larison and CB Channing Canada were the top kick returners, Marcellas Dial Jr. and Kyle Williams were the top gunners, and S Mike Brown was the personal protector. Those are often roles players down the depth chart can earn to make the roster.
DISCLAIMER: The views and thoughts expressed in this article are those of the writer and don't necessarily reflect those of the organization. Read Full Disclaimer
