The Patriots are heading into their second preseason game with a few jobs still wide open, and Saturday’s meeting with the Eagles should help sort out some of the mess.
New England opened exhibition play with a 13-13 tie against the Colts, a result that felt equal parts encouraging and frustrating. Tommy DeVito flashed, the defense kept taking the ball away, and the offense kept handing yards back with penalties.
A 48-yard pass to Cameron Dorner and a 22-yard throw to Eli Raridon both got wiped out because of flags on the offensive line, and a 13-yard Hassan Haskins run disappeared the same way. In all, the Patriots lost 83 yards because of the line’s lack of discipline.
The defense did plenty to make up for it. New England forced four turnovers and added a turnover on downs when second-year edge defender Bradyn Swinson got a hand on the ball at the line of scrimmage.
Even so, Andy Borregales’ night loomed large. He missed three of five field goals, and while those kicks weren’t easy, the Patriots would have expected him to hit at least two of the 49-, 55- and 56-yard tries.
Those misses turned what could have been a two-possession win into a deadlock.
Now the attention shifts to roster battles, and the running back group is one of the clearest ones still taking shape. Terrell Jennings was placed on season-ending IR on Thursday, which narrows the competition for the RB3 spot to Lan Larison and Jam Miller.
Against Indianapolis, Miller was the more productive of the two by a wide margin. He carried 14 times for 55 yards, averaging 3.9 yards per attempt, though he also had a rough drop on a swing pass from Tommy DeVito.
Larison, meanwhile, managed just one yard on seven carries. He did catch six passes for 38 yards and can help as a receiver and kick returner, but the rushing numbers were hard to ignore.
If Miller’s style sounds familiar, that’s because it tracks with what Jennings brought to the offense: a sturdier, between-the-tackles option. Larison offers more in the passing game, which could give him a different kind of value, but the way things looked in Week 1, those two seem likely to keep forming the backup tandem when the Patriots get into their preseason reps on Saturday.
One name that will draw plenty of attention is A.J. Brown, though the expectation is that his impact will be limited.
With minimal playing time likely - probably around a quarter - the Eagles will be focused on keeping him quiet. That should leave the stat lines to other receivers such as Romeo Doubs, Kayshon Boutte, and Pop Douglas.
The Patriots’ defensive backfield is also starting to separate itself. Kindle Vildor picked off a pass, rookies Karon Prunty and Channing Canada looked comfortable, and second-year safety John Saunders Jr. added both an interception and a forced fumble.
That leaves the CB5 competition looking like a three-man race, while Kobee Minor appears to be slipping behind. Saunders, who spent two days on the active roster last season before landing on the practice squad, has a chance to make a real case for himself as a true safety, especially with Dell Pettus and Brenden Schooler providing more value on special teams than at the position itself.
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Patriots Suddenly Need Greg Van Roten More Than Fans Realize
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Mike Vrabel has already signaled confidence in what Van Roten can provide, pointing to his versatility and overall experience as reasons the fit makes sense. For a Patriots group trying to keep the middle of the line from becoming a problem, the bigger question now is how quickly Van Roten can settle in and how large a role he ends up filling once the games matter. [Read more 🡒]