Image courtesy of Sports Illustrated

For those that wanted answers about this Patriots team, we got some on Saturday night.

After jaw-jacking and scuffling with Green Bay during joint practices this week, the teams were at it again pregame before a 21-17 “win” for the Patriots. Unfortunately, the game ended in scary fashion when corner back Isaiah Bolden was injured and carted off the field with 10:29 remaining. After some discussion, the remainder of the game was called off due to the severity of the injury.

“We’re all saying a prayer for Isaiah,” said Bill Belichick, who did not answer questions about the game during his postgame press conference with respect for Bolden’s situation. “I appreciate the way the league handled it. I think it was the right thing to do.”

Before the frightening ending, the game was actually very entertaining by preseason football standards. The Patriots starting offense and defense both got some significant time in the first half of the game and while there is obviously still work to be done, we got a glimpse of what this offense can be with proper protection. Defensively, the run game was a big issue, but there were still some positives to take away there too. All in all, it’s hard not to feel more confident as a fan after what you saw this past week.

After three dominant runs to open the game for Green Bay, the Packers had an illegal man down field, then launched a snap backwards over Jordan Love’s head. Josh Uche recovered to set the first team Patriots offense up at the Packers’ 18. Seven plays later – including a bullet RPO completion by Mac to Bourne, an impressive scramble and a DPI call on Parker – the Pats went up 7-0 on a short Rhamondre Stevenson run and PAT from Nick Folk.

Green Bay reached midfield with its first team offense back on the field, but a Myles Bryant PBU on a ball to the sideline on third down forced a punt. Mac and the offense had a nice test on their second time out with the ball pinned inside the New England 10. Stevenson broke off a huge 23-yard run on the second snap after Jones checked at the line. Jones missed Henry deep down the seam and JuJu Smith-Schuster slipped on a jet sweep before a sack forced a punt, but the creativity was at least nice to see.

A Bryce Baringer 61-yard bomb of a punt pinned Green Bay back at its own seven, but a long third down pass from Love to Romeo Doubs down the right sideline moved them over midfield late in the quarter after the play was reviewed. A Love scramble and late hit later and suddenly, the Packers were at the Pats’ 29. Love soon found Jayden Reed streaking across the field for a 20-yard touchdown as things continued to get chippy between the teams.

Demario Douglas had two big catches – one on third down – and a couple nifty moves to end the first quarter as the Pats’ offense continued to show improvement. Facing another third down just over midfield, Mac stood in the face of pressure and fired a pass downfield for Bourne, who elevated to make the catch inside the Green Bay 30. Unfortunately one play later, Mac was blindsided and strip sacked, ending another positive drive.

Green Bay opted to pull their starters at this point while most of the top defensive unit for the Pats stayed out there. The Packers’ offensive line dominated up front as Eric Wilson gashed them, moving down to the New England 23. Moments later, Patrick Taylor scampered in around the left side untouched for an easy TD run and a 14-7 lead.

Bailey Zappe and the “two’s” made their first appearance with 9:46 to go in the half and quickly went three-and-out. With a mix of one’s and (mostly) two’s out there on D for the next drive, Green Bay reached midfield and converted a fourth down, but it was bend but don’t break mode for the Pats, eventually forcing a punt with a little over two minutes to go. Zappe hit Kevin Harris and JJ Taylor for big gains on screens and an eventual third down PI flag on Green Bay put the Pats just outside the Packers’ 40 in the final minute. One play after a lengthy delay for a Tre Nixon injury, Zappe threw a bullet on a slant for Kayshon Boutte who did the rest, sprinting 42 yards for a TD. Chad Ryland made it 14-14 with 0:56 to go.

A tip-drill interception for Marcus Jones created by Christian Gonzalez was nullified on a DPI call and Green Bay eventually had a 52-yard field goal from Anders Carlson to make it 17-14 at the halftime break.

Zappe led the offense out of the shadow of its own end zone to open the third quarter with Boutte, Harris and JJ Taylor contributing towards the march out near midfield before the offensive line struggles perked up again and the Pats had to punt. Rodney Randle Jr. came up with a great defensive play down field on third down during Green Bay’s ensuing drive to force a punt. Harris and Taylor proceeded to take the game over during a lengthy, 17-play, 88-yard drive that killed the 8:49 remaining in the quarter and ended with six-yard TD run for Zappe on fourth-and-two, making it 21-17 heading to the fourth.

The game ended abruptly when Bolden was trying to make a play on a ball as he fights for a roster spot and appeared to get taken out by a teammate with ‘friendly fire’ during the play. He was eventually placed on a backboard and carted off. The entire Patriots team gathered on the field for what looked like a team prayer as a few Packers players joined in. Bill Belichick, Packers head coach Matt LaFleur and Matthew Slater all had a conversation with the officials and as the conversations continued, the game was eventually called.

“I really appreciate what Coach Belichick did,” Slater said postgame. “He took the initiative on that. Look, this is not the AFC Championship. We’re not playing for records. It’s preseason game Game two. When you have an injury like that, it affects a lot of guys in a lot of different ways. Clearly, our team was shaken by what happened, and I think Coach made the right decision.

“I think that was tremendous leadership by him. I have to say honestly, that was one of the proudest moments I’ve had as a guy who’s played for him for now 16 years. To see what he did, there was no hesitation. And, I appreciate Coach LaFleur as well, for standing with him. I think everybody acted swiftly and it was the right call in this situation.”

New England is heading directly to Tennessee for more joint practices this week before a final preseason game in Nashville next Friday night.