The first Patriots preseason game is in the books.
Nobody should pay too much attention to the score line of a preseason game. For the record, it was a 48-18 win over the Washington Commanders. But how a team plays the game is often instructive.
Here is a quick-fire roundup of what I am feeling optimistic about as well as my biggest concern.
Reasons for optimism
They say that a team often reflects the personality of their head coach. This team is made in Mike Vrabel’s image, which makes me believe this scrappy team might steal a few wins they probably do not deserve this season.
This is best reflected in Javon Baker’s contributions on special teams. Baker was punished for his poor attitude last season but under the new regime, he seems to be willing to do whatever he can to help his team.
Will Campbell and Jared Wilson were not perfect in their debuts but in the 14 snaps they played, they were fantastic in 13 of them.
Both of these behemoth athletes looked great on the move in the run game. They were making key blocks to spring the running backs and Campbell was finishing some of his blocks with intention.
TreVeyon Henderson touched the ball five times, the first of which was a 100-yard kickoff return TD. He then used his next four touches to gain 30 yards. All in eight snaps.
Cause for concern
The biggest takeaway from Drake Maye’s rookie season was that he has all the talent to be an elite QB.
However, he needs to cut down on the turnover-worthy plays. They will inevitably happen but Drake has to minimise the really silly mistakes.
He ended the Patriots’ first offensive drive on Friday night by trying to throw a ball while in the grasp of a defender, which led to a fumble. That is far from ideal.
While we want Drake to make plays, he needs to master the art of knowing when to make them and when to rein it in if this team is to reach its ceiling.
