Rejoice, Patriots fans! The preseason is over and now we can put out full attention on the regular season. The Patriots will kick off in Week 1 against the Las Vegas Raiders on September 7.
The preseason finale was not pretty. The Patriots were blown out 42-10, but 35 players (most of the starters) did not play in the contest. It was the last chance for a lot of guys to make an impression and earn a spot on the roster, so who impressed and who didn’t?
Well, the defense struggled, as is to be expected when you give up 42 points. On offense, Ben Wooldridge was the only quarterback to take a snap, and he didn’t exactly inspire much confidence. The ground game couldn’t consistently get going either, and the offensive line was a mess for the most part.
Now, as we approach the deadline for roster cuts, let’s identify seven winners and losers from this game.
Winner: Dell Pettus, DB
Pettus had plenty of chances against the Giants, and for the most part, he took advantage. The defensive back played 39 snaps and Marcus Epps was the only safety to get more.
Pettus led the team with seven tackles and consistently found himself around the ball. It was the best performance of the summer for Pettus, and one he needed to have if he has any hope of sticking in Foxboro.
Loser: Ben Wooldridge, QB
Wooldridge had the perfect opportunity to cement his spot on the roster. Instead, the undrafted free agent passer had poor showing, and was one of several players to be released on Friday.
Wooldridge only completed 10 of his 20 pass attempts and ended with just 82 yards. The quarterback also fumbled and threw an interception. It will be interesting to see if he did enough to get a practice squad spot or if the team will look elsewhere.
Winner: Jeremiah Webb, WR
Webb has not gotten much fanfare this offseason in a deep receiver room. However, the UDFA has sneakily had a good camp and waited for the preseason finale to have his best performance yet.
Webb led all receivers with three catches for 31 yards and one score. Webb had the lone score of the night for the Patriots, and also had a nice 22-yard punt return. Webb likely won’t make the team, but he should have earned himself a practice squad spot.
Loser: Backup offensive linemen
It was not a banner night for the Patriots’ reserve linemen. Sidy Sow earned the start, but he was bull-rushed by Abdul Carter on the first drive and also allowed a tackle for loss. Sow was cut on Friday following the performance.
Cole Strange did not impress either. The former first-round pick came in as the backup center and got called for a holding penalty and had a botched snap. Tyrese Robinson was competing for a guard spot as well, but he failed to standout this preseason and was also released Friday.
Winner: Kyle Dugger, S
It’s been an interesting offseason for Dugger, who has recently found himself on the trade block. Heading into the finale, Dugger found himself behind Jabrill Peppers, Craig Woodson, and Jaylinn Hawkins on the depth chart.
However, Dugger had his best performance on Thursday. The veteran racked up six tackles, two pass deflections, and an interception. Dugger was one of the few bright spots on defense and proved that he can still be an efficient player. It will be interesting to see if this performance changes anything with the final roster.
Loser: Backup running backs
To be fair, a good amount of the blame for the poor ground game can be pinned on the line. However, the reserve running backs did themselves no favors on Thursday.
In total, the backs combined for just 110 yards and each of the three average fewer than four yards per attempt. Shane Watts turned 15 carries into 52 yards and was cut on Friday, while Micah Bernard had seven carries for 16 yards and was also cut.
JaMycal Hasty is still on the roster for now, but it’s hard to be impressed with 11 carries for 30 yards. The Patriots could decide to just keep three running backs.
Loser: Javon Baker, WR
Baker finds himself on the wrong side of this list once again. Baker needed to have a big game to convince the Patriots to keep seven receivers on the final roster. Instead, the former fourth-round pick was again held catchless.
Baker was unable to reel in either of his two targets (both hit him in the hands) and was called for an offensive pass interference penalty on a screen. The receiver did technically force a fumble on a return due to a solid block, but it would’ve been nice to see more.
Loser: Andy Borregales, K
Borregales has been the favorite to land the kicking job all summer due to being drafted. However, the rookie has struggled with kicks from distance and missed a 49-yarder last night.
Borregales was able to hit his lone extra point attempt and did punch in a 30-yard field goal. Mike Vrabel seemed non-committal to Borregales after the game, though, and it wouldn’t be surprising if Parker Romo ended up winning the job now.