New England Patriots Preseason Game Recap

Patriots fall to Ravens 16-15 in preseason opener

Offense: New England used a very simple offensive approach and relied heavily on running plays. This is in sharp contrast to their strategy in a regular season game but getting different players involved and narrowing down the competition for roster spots was of the utmost improtance. Matt Cassel started the first two possessions at quarterback and was rusty. He completed one out of four passes and threw an interception. Matt Guiterrez came in and played most of the second and third quarter and was a little better. He led the team to two field goals and passed for 57 yards. Kevin O'Connell replaced Guiterrez at the end of the third and played the remainder of the game, leading the Patriots to a touchdown and a field goal while also throwing an interception. The Patriots quarterbacks didn't really have a chance to show off their abilities due to the limited offensive approach, but based on the interceptions and numerous stalled drives, they struggled to get accustomed to a game situation.

The rushing attack fared much better and was the only constant threat. Lamont Jordan played nearly the entire game, rushing for 76 yards on 19 carries. He displayed his strength and endurance by picking up first downs in short yardage situations and gaining yards after the initial hit. New England coaches were pleased with his results and he is expected to receive significant playing time in the upcoming preseason games. Starting runningback Laurence Maroney was on the field in the first quarter but didn't make an impact, with 6 yards on 6 carries. Fullbacks Heath Evans and Kevin Faulk were rarely used. The starting receivers only played in the first quarter and caught a few passes, but were thrown to on less than half of the plays. No backup receiver really had a stand-out performance as several caught two or three passes, primarily on short and intermediate routes. The lack of receiving yards and scores was because of the conservative strategy and as the preseason goes on the Patriots will gradually ease into their normal offense. The offensive line was decent in the first half when the starters were playing and prodived time for quarterbacks to throw. In the second half, the line was not as powerful and fatigue became a factor as backups were not used to the extended amount of plays. The pass rush of the Ravens became more effective and forced quarterbacks to scramble on several occasions. More game situations and one-on-one drills in practice can help the second and third string offensive line.

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Defense: The defensive line was excellent at stopping the run but had some difficulty in producing a pass rush. Linemen made tackles and forced runningbacks into short gains. The blocking was okay on passing plays but the quickness and elusiveness was not there. Linemen were unable to move around or escape offensive players to get to the quarterback. The linebackers had a pretty good game as they allowed a low amount of yards after the catch on short and mid-range routes. Crossing patterns, slants, screens, and comeback routes were often used by the Ravens as their pass plays were limited. Linebackers weer in position to make tackles on receivers and they also covered routes pretty well. Although there were a lot of completions, it was for short gains and the pass rush was usually insignificant. The rookie and inexeprienced linebackers did not make many mistales so that was another positive sign. The secondary was okay but could have been better. Defensive backs and safeties did not create a turnover or any big plays. The coverage was adequate and forced the Ravens to rely on short passes and check-down routes. There were a few long passing plays with receivers open but those were the only big mistakes in the game. The linebackers were definitely the best group ans the defensive line and secondary performed okay but made some mistakes. The Patriots allowed 13 points in the first half and 3 points in the second half meaning the first string defense did not play very well. Having the backup defense allow so few points is a great sign and it will strengthen the overall team. In practice leading up to the next game, the starting defense will have adjustments to make and will look to get better since they expect a lot out of themselves. Improvements will be seen in the upcoming weeks and being ready for the first bregular season matchup is the objective.

Special Teams: Stephen Gostkowski made all three field goal attempts and had pretty good distance on kickoffs. The kick returns were effective as the Patriots averaged 25 yards on 4 kickoff returns. The punt returns were non-existent with 2 returns for 3 yards. Chris Hanson punted 4 times for a 42 yard average. He does not have good leg strength and will have to punt towards the sidelines to prevent a decent return.

By Chad Fukuoka
ProFootball-fans.com New England Patriots Correspondent