The New England Patriots have yet to play an actual game this year. But so far under Mike Vrabel, things have looked good.
The practices have generated optimism. The joint practice went well overall. The first two preseason games were wins.
Then there was Thursday night at MetLife Stadium. The defense stunk. The offense stunk. The quarterback kept having passes batted down.
It was the football equivilant of a Whoopee cushion. It was a total farce, but ultimately harmless.
The good news is that this was the final preseason game. Many of the guys who played won’t be on the 53-man roster.
Will this game serve as good bulletin board material for Vrabel and the Patriots as they head into Week 1? Or will the team just move on from a game that doesn’t matter?
The big thing is that New England puts Thursday night in the rear-view mirror.
I certainly hope the fans did. If you’re one of the fans who stayed up and watched this whole game by free will, then I salute you.
Here are some immediate takeaways from Thursday night’s season finale. FINAL SCORE: Giants 42 - Patriots 10
-- Undrafted rookie quarterback Ben Wooldridge went the distance in this one. The results were far from pretty.
-- A big issue for Wooldridge was getting passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. That’s one of those things that shows up more in games than in practice.
-- This game ended on a bummer of a note. Giants rookie T.J. Moore was carted off the field after an injury. Players from both teams knelt around Moore as he was taken off. Tough scene to watch.
-- Big plays were an issue for the Patriots defense. The Giants put up a total of 431 yards on offense. Much of that came in the passing game, where New York had gains of 50, 31, 28, 27, and 38 yards on the night.
-- Once again, veteran safety Kyle Dugger had a big chunk of playing time. His status on the Patriots’ 53-man roster remains in doubt.
-- Wide receiver Javon Baker continues to show promise on special teams. He blocked a Giants special teamer into his own returner, causing a muffed punt.
-- However, Baker did have a rough game as a receiver. He was targeted twice and did not record a catch. He was also called for pass interference on a screen pass.
-- Apparently, the quarterbacks didn’t get the memo about trying to avoid contact in the preseason. Giants rookie Jaxson Dart took a big hit early on a long scramble and had to go into the blue medical tent.
-- Wooldridge slid early to avoid contact on an early run. But later, he joined in on the contact, leaping forward and getting hit into a helicopter spin a la John Elway.
-- Not a great game for Cole Strange. The former first-round pick was smoked on a run at the goal line and was called for a significant holding penalty.
-- Old friend Gunner Olszewski had a bit of a revenge game, going off for a 50-yard catch early.
-- The Patriots kicker battle remains unclear. Rookie Andy Borregales didn’t do himself any favors when he missed a 49-yarder in the first quarter.
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