Featured image courtesy of David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
By John Sarianides
The Patriots lost their pre-season opener to the Jacksonville Jaguars 31-24 tonight at Gillette Stadium. The Patriots played well offensively, particularity Brandon Bolden and rookies Austin Carr and Jacob Hollister.
The defense on the other hand was putrid. They gave up big plays, took bad angles and missed tackles all over the field. Bill Belichick and Matt Patricia are probably sick to their stomachs tonight.
Here are five thoughts on this game.
1. Jimmy G Played Well: Garoppolo got off to a slow start but bounced back in the second quarter, leading the Patriots on a touchdown drive right before the end of the first half. Garoppolo finished 22/28 for 235 yards and 2 touchdowns. Those numbers are impressive considering the fact that he was playing with the two’s and the three’s.
2. Carr and Hollister Impressed: Rookie wide receiver Austin Carr and rookie tight end Jacob Hollister were both impressive tonight. Carr caught 5 passes for 44 yards and a touchdown. The touchdown was an impressive jump ball catch in the back of the end zone. Hollister was even more impressive. He caught 7 passes for 116 yards. He was targeted nine times.
Both Carr and Hollister ran great routes and showed an ability to get open against zone coverage. Both of them improved their stock and their chances to make the team.
3. Bolden the Workhorse: Brandon Bolden was featured in the first half and he ran hard. Bolden only carried the ball 5 times for 33 yards but he also caught 2 passes for 24 yards. Bolden’ s performance was a reminder to us that he is not just a special teamer. He is a capable running back as well.
4. The Defense Was Awful: The understatement of the night. The Patriots defense was awful tonight. The Jaguars piled up 447 yards of total offense. They rushed for 207 yards and ran through the Patriots front seven as if they weren’t there.
The Patriots took terrible angles, missed tackles and gave up three big plays. It was a miserable performance overall. The only silver lining. It was the 2’s and 3’s. It’s really doesn’t matter in the big picture.
5. Cyrus Jones and Jordan Richards Struggled: Jones gave up a 97 yard touchdown pass. Richards took a bad angle on Corey Grant’s 79 yard touchdown run. Both players struggled and tonight’s performance put both squarely on the bubble. Neither is guaranteed to make the roster and their performances certainly didn’t help them.