It took exactly 12 seconds for the TreVeyon Henderson hype train to reach full speed.
The New England Patriots running back started the preseason with a jolt of electricity, returning the opening kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown.
If we’re being honest, the smart move was probably to shut off the TV then and there and wait for the regular season to start.
Alas, the Patriots’ preseason opener continued. There were some bumps and foibles. There were also highlights. Lots and lots of highlights.
Here are some immediate takeaways from Friday night’s 48-18 preseason win against the Washington Commanders:
-- That’s right: 48 points. It’s been a long time since New England has posted a bonkers number like that on the scoreboard.
-- Overall, this was a pretty darn good start to the Mike Vrabel era. Sure, it’s the preseason. But whomping a team by 30 points is generally a good thing. It sure beats getting smoked in the preseason.
-- It probably should have been 30-3. Rookie receiver Kyle Williams got hosed on what should have been a deep pass interference call in the closing seconds of the first half.
-- The would-be DPI marked the close of a bumpy first half for Williams. The third-round pick was targeted four times but did not record a catch.
-- It was a pretty clean first half, save for a disastrous strip-sack on Drake Maye. The fault on the play lay with the all-rookie left side of the offensive line: tackle Will Campbell and guard Jared Wilson.
-- Campbell locked up his man pretty well. Meanwhile, Wilson’s defender looped around to the edge where Campbell was tied up. Wilson had no way of chasing his man that far out. Meanwhile, Campbell was too tied up to successfully pass his defender off and move to the looping outside rusher.
-- In summary: It was a clunky play. The guy Wilson was blocking made the sack. The rookies will probably get better.
-- Patriots starters only played a handful of series in this game, so there weren’t a lot of takeaways from the performance of Campbell and Wilson. Although it remains notable that Wilson looks to be the frontrunner for the starting job at left guard.
-- It looks like undrafted rookie Efton Chism III is in the mix for punt return duties. After Marcus Jones returned the first punt of the game, Chism came in and recorded a nifty 11-yard return.
-- Speaking of Chism, he was far and away the Patriots’ top receiver on the night, catching six passes for 50 yards and a touchdown where he slipped a tackle on fourth down.
-- Chism has been a training camp standout, but hasn’t seen much time with the starters. Now that he’s shown up in a preseason game, there may be a bigger discussion about him moving up the depth chart.
-- Joe Milton, eat your heart out. Josh Dobbs showcased some amazing veteran elusiveness, slashing into the endzone for a 2-yard rushing touchdown. You can watch the play here.
-- Not a good sign for 2024 second-round pick Ja’Lynn Polk. The second-year receiver was injured on a first-half handoff and was seen heading to the blue medical tent.
-- Hold on, Javon Baker is a special teamer now? The second-year receiver made a big impact on special teams against Washington, making two special teams tackles in the first half.
-- Someone needs to tell Mike Vrabel that this is a preseason game and take that red flag away from him. The Patriots coach challenged two completions in the course of a few minutes in the third quarter. He whiffed on the first challenge, but did get the second one overturned.
-- The Patriots’ wide receiver battle remains as hard to read as ever. Kayshon Bouttle, Stefon Diggs, Pop Douglas and Kendrick Bourne didn’t play. Ja’Lynn Polk got hurt. Kyle Williams was targeted, but didn’t produce much. Efton Chism had plenty of production, but his spot on the depth chart remains unclear. Javon Baker didn’t have a catch, but looked impressive on special teams.
-- Credit to those who stayed and watched the entire game. Preseason games are rarely 60 minutes of enthralling television. But at least you got a look at the Ben Wooldridge and Lan Larison era.
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