And with that, the preseason is in the books.
I can’t imagine that many people actually tuned into last night’s game between the Patriots and Giants, for which I certainly can’t blame you. You really didn’t miss much.
And seeing as how this is the last Fan Notes I get to completely mail in this season, I’m going to do just that. Just consider me “resting my starters” before we get to the real action.
* If you also watched this game in its entirety, feel free to leave your contact info in the comments below. I’ll be reaching out in the coming days with the details for the very necessary support group/therapy we all need.
* With very few starters suiting up for this one, there are really only three things worth talking about regarding this game: who saw how much time, who didn’t see any time, and whether anyone did enough to fill one of the last few available roster spots.
* To that end… if there was any doubt that Efton Chism, aka Chizzy, aka Chiz, aka the Smote Finch, isn’t a roster lock after such a strong camp, those doubts should be put to rest. Chism didn’t even dress for this game.
* And if there was any doubt that Kyle Dugger is in this team’s long-term plans…well, they’re still there. But I’d be amazed if he was on the final roster come this time next week. Dugger played well into the second half. But he didn’t play well into the fourth quarter, and he looked solid - the way you’d expect a second round pick who got a huge second contract to look around a group of bottom-of-the-roster guys. So maybe he’ll stick around if they can’t trade him. I don’t think cutting him makes a ton of sense.
* I think that Javon Baker did everything he could to prove that he deserves a roster spot, including seeing some time on Special Teams. If he doesn’t make the cut, he won’t need to wonder if there was more he could have done.
* I’d knock all of the bad defensive penalties that extend Giants drives…but that might have been deliberate. The third-string Patriots offense was so inept that this game was going to get done faster if the Giants offense was on the field longer.
* That said, I do think that Ben Wooldridge played just good/bad enough to earn himself a spot on the practice squad. I can’t see any teams reviewing his August game tape and signing him to the active roster, but he for sure has value on the Patriots - if for no other reason that he kind of looks like Drake Maye. So if Maye ever gets suspended for whatever reason, they can make Wooldridge the fall guy, give Maye Wooldrige’s jersey, keep the helmet on at all times, and avoid the media. I don’t think anyone would notice.
* New England’s playcalling was such that there didn’t seem to be all that much interest in giving anyone a legit chance to make the team. A first down run up the gut, a shallow-to-middle out, incomplete pass, punt.
* It’s also now clear that the NFL has decided to just do away with the old Week 3 of the preseason altogether. We used to get at least one half of starters in August, but no more. Week 1 and Week 2 are more or less the same, and Week 3 is now Week 4.
* Drives starting at the 35-yard line after a touchback is yet another awful idea to follow a seemingly unending string of awful ideas the NFL sharts out in order to make their product worse.
* The almost total lack of pass rush from New England last night was a little troubling, even from the backups of the backups.
* I’m also glad that the NFL introduced a virtual ball spotter to make things faster and more accurate. It looks like we need to add the terms “faster” and “more accurate” to “integrity,” “player safety,” “improved fan experience,” and “transparency” on the list of things the NFL says but clearly has no clue what the actual definition is.
* The highlight of my night was listening to Al Michaels roast Ryan Fitzpatrick when Fitzpatrick visited the booth in the second half. Michaels came out hot and didn’t hesitate to let us all know that Ryan Fitzpatrick played 17 years for nine teams, appeared in 166 games, had zero playoff appearances, and Michaels never once called a MNF or SNF that Fitzpatrick started. Michaels also didn’t hesitate to knock Fitzpatrick’s numbers, lack of impressive stats, or notable games. Tough to come back from that one.
* It’s easy to forget that there were guys out there last night who likely knew they were playing professional football for the last time. I imagine that the majority of the players who saw a lot of time across Week 3 of the preseason are dividing their attention between studying the playbook and updating their LinkedIn profiles right now. There were also guys trying to put as much good play on tape as possible in hopes of being picked up by another team or making a practice squad. So while we were all counting the minutes, they were all doing whatever they could to make every second count. It’s amazing to live out your childhood dream, even if it’s only for a little while.
* I don’t think I’ve ever been this intrigued by who will comprise New England’s practice squad. I mentioned that Wooldridge makes a lot of sense, and I think that Jeremiah Webb is a great example of a guy who earned a place on this team with a meaningful performance in a meaningless game. Some offensive linemen for sure. Maybe Jordan Polk on the defensive side. Who else will it be? Luckily we won’t have to wait long.
This has to be one of the most stressful weekends of your life if you’re a roster bubble guy. There are currently 2,880 players in the NFL hoping to claim one of the 1,696 spots available on the active rosters. And of those 1,696 spots, I’d say all but 150 or so have been spoken for. They’ve done all they can at this point, now it’s time to hurry up and wait. And as the late, great Tom Petty said, the waiting is the hardest part.
That also applies to us and the start of the regular season. Less than two weeks to go.
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