Eight Takeaways From the Patriots Preseason Opener

The New England Patriots began their preseason schedule with a victory on Thursday night in Foxboro. They took a 7-0 halftime lead and held on to defeat the Carolina Panthers by a final score of 17-3. It was only a preseason game; the Panthers are not a strong team, and Carolina was resting many of their starters. Just the same, it was nice to have NFL football back at Gillette Stadium, and nice for New England to walk away with a win.

Jerod Mayo won his first game as an NFL head coach, though his first official one won’t be played until September. There were no major injuries reported, which is always the most important of preseason football from this perspective. The new kickoff rules did not produce much, but was an interesting wrinkle. It felt like a normal play instead of just a gimmick, which bodes well for the play sticking around beyond 2024.

Mayo stated everyone available to play would play, though that turned out not to be the case. In addition to players known to be dealing with injuries, some veterans sat for the preseason opener. These included Hunter Henry, Davon Godchaux, Matthew Judon, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Jonathan Jones, and Jabrill Peppers. Many other vets saw limited time.

Also Read – One Patriots Player to Watch From Each Unit in Preseason Week 1

Here are 10 quick takeaways from the Thursday night’s game:

Quarterback Play for the Patriots

Jacoby Brissett and Drake May played onto one series each on offense. Bailey Zappe took over for the third drive and remained in the game until the third drive of the second half. Joe Milton III took over and finished the game for New England. Brissett failed poorly, as all three of his attempts fell incomplete, including one throwaway. Maye looked comfortable but was not given much of an opportunity. His two completions were both to running backs. He displayed good arm strength on an incompletion to Jalen Reagor, but the line drive was not caught.

Bailey Zappe saw the majority of action. He looked fine in spots and led New England to their first touchdown. It is hard to imagine Zappe’s stock changed in either direction. He entered the game seeming like a borderline roster NFL veteran who could be pressed into duty in an emergency. That is exactly what he looked like. Milton generated some excitement with both his legs and his arm. He had a nice scramble and run in the third quarter and followed that up with a touchdown pass to JaQuae Jackson in the fourth. Milton might have passed Zappe on the depth chart, and he certainly did so in the eyes of Patriots fans.

Two Starters Popped in Limited Action

Rhamondre Stevenson only carried the ball once, the New England Patriots’ first play of the game. He picked up 11 yards on the play for a first down. He looked fast, strong, and decisive. If New England hopes to be a “run first” team, having their featured back look that sharp is a good sign.

On the defensive side of the ball, Deatrich Wise Jr. recorded a sack during his limited playing time. He looked powerful, refusing to be held back from Panthers QB Jack Plummer, dragging him down with one arm.

Deatrich Wise Jr. is STRONG 💪

📺: #CARvsNE — 7pm ET on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/eL7uvtxxxa

— NFL (@NFL) August 8, 2024

David Wallis Punt Returns

The New England Patriots first two punt returns were unimpressive. Jalen Reagor fielded the first and ran horizontally until getting tackles. K.J. Osborn took the second return and was tackled as soon as he caught it. Undrafted free agent David Wallis went in for the next punt return and the most of his opportunity. Wallis returned the punt 23 yards to set up a New England touchdown on the drive. In the second half he returned one 14 yards by showing good explosiveness once again. Marcus Jones was an All-Pro return specialist as a rookie in 2022. He missed the preseason opener and is likely to regain his job when he returns to action. But David Wallis got the crowd and his teammates fired up with his performance in the return game on Thursday night.

David Wallis making things happen for the @patriots on the punt return!

📺: #CARvsNE — 7pm ET on @nflnetwork
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus pic.twitter.com/rCQyz09kOa

— NFL (@NFL) August 9, 2024

Jeremiah Pharms Jr. Impresses

The New England Patriots need playmakers, especially if Christian Barmore remains out for a prolonged period. Jeremiah Pharms Jr. showed himself to be a potential difference-maker against Carolina. Pharms played with the first unit. He recorded a sack. Pharms also drew two penalties with his penetration. He made the first tackle of the game and didn’t slow down until he exited the game. If Pharms continues to pop like that it is hard to envision him not landing a spot on the 53-man roster.

Although Jeremiah Pharms Jr. was the most impressive Patriots defender on Thursday night, he wasn’t the only impressive one. Anfernee Jennings picked up where he left off in 2023. He applied pressure, set a strong edge, and consistently found himself around the play when he was on the field.

A Pair of Receivers Catch Attention

In 2023, Kayshon Boutte led the Patriots in preseason receiving yards. He appears well on his way to doing so once again in 2024. Boutte made three catches for 53 yards and nearly scored the game’s first touchdown. Boutte looked excellent using his hands to catch the ball, which some receivers were struggling with in the rainy conditions.

GET UP @KayshonBoutte1!!

📺: @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/TKOl5FsdZ0

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 9, 2024

JaQuae Jackson scored the final touchdown of the game. He made a beautiful double move to get open and find the end zone. Of course, the cornerback Jackson juked is unlikely to play on Sundays this fall, but Jackson showed enough to warrant a longer look in camp.

Two More to Mention

Oshane Ximines and Joe Giles-Harris were two other defenders who were hard to miss. Both players were all over the field for New England. Ximines did his damage behind the line of scrimmage. After failing to hold his edge on one play, he rebounded to impress several times. He showed a solid array of moves to get to the quarterback and disrupt the Carolina offense. Giles-Harris, like Ximines, had one tough play but was on an island in the open field when it happened. He made several solid tackles and knocked down a pass at the line of scrimmage.

Still Lots of Work Ahead

Despite some great work from the Patriots’ defense, there is a little reality check that needs to take place. They were battling the backups from one of the NFL’s worst offenses. Furthermore, the Panthers had several opportunities to capitalize on pass plays that were either poorly thrown or dropped. Nothing for New England to worry about, but those same plays will not fall in their favor often in the regular season.

Penalties cost New England a few times. Chukwuma Okorafor was called for a false start. Atonio Mafi received a blocking penalty. Tight end Mitchell Wilcox (who also had a rough night receiving) was called for holding. The offense got flagged for a delay of game penalty. Again, nothing to be overly concerned with in the first game of preseason, but all things that need to be cleaned up.

The Medal Stand

Since the Summer Olympics are taking place, instead of giving three stars of the game for the New England Patriots, medals will be given out this time around for those who shined the brightest:

GOLD – Jeremiah Pharms Jr., DT
SILVER – Joe Giles-Harris, LB
BRONZE – Oshane Ximines, ED

Honorable  Mention: Joe Milton III, JaQuae Jackson, David Wallis, Anfernee Jennings, Bryce Baringer

The New England Patriots still have two more preseason games before their 17-game regular season begins. Jerod Mayo hopes many more are as successful and injury-free as their 2024 debut.