Patriots Pre-Season Game 1: Ravens 16 - Patriots 15
Let's keep it in perspective...it was the first pre-season game, and NFL MVP Tom Brady and Randy Moss had the night off.
The Good:
The Patriots rookie linebackers made a series of eye-catching plays throughout the game. Jarod Mayo delivered several jarring hits, while Shawn Crable had an impressive interception. (K.Boller pass short left intended for A.Bergen INTERCEPTED by S.Crable at NE 48. S.Crable to BAL 41 for 11 yards) Mayo and Crable are going to make an immediate impact on this Patriots team.
Third-round choice Kevin O'Connell led the Patriots to their only touchdown on a 31-yard march after Flacco's fumble. (Note: O'Connell played the last third of the game against defenders far down on the depth chart). Compared to the other two backup QBs though, this was the lone bright spot for QBs.
LaMont Jordan, ran with power, picking up 76 yards and scoring on a 1-yard run. He is currently fighting for a job behind Laurence Maroney.
Stephen Gostkowski kicked three field goals on the night, and made all of them (36, 44, 40)
The Bad:
WR Sam Aiken, a free-agent signee brought in to primarily help the special teams units, suffered a knee injury and did not return to the game.
S/LB Tank Williams also had a knee injury during the game. Trainers tended to him on the field, but he walked off under his own power. Williams added a new wrinkle to the defense from the linebacker spot, giving the base 3-4 a different dynamic that could be called upon against specific opponents.
The Patriots tried to get the ball to Chad Jackson without any success. It looked like Jackson and Cassel were not on the same page. Words were spoken between the two of them after the interception.
The Ugly:
Patriot Backup QBs: With Tom Brady sitting out, the focus was on Matt Cassel and Matt Gutierrez to show they were worthy of the backup job. Both struggled mightily. QB Matt Cassel was 1 of 4 for 11 yards, with one INT and one sack. Gutierrez didn't do much better and was sacked on back to back plays for -19 yards. He finished the night 10 for 76 yards, with one INT and three sacks! If something ever happened to Tom Brady, it does not look like there is a backup QB on the roster who is ready to play. Third-round choice Kevin O'Connell did led the Patriots to their only touchdown on a 31-yard march after Flacco's fumble.
Final Thoughts:
The Rookies made some strong impressions during the game. Inside linebacker Jerod Mayo, cornerback Terrence Wheatley, outside linebacker Shawn Crable, quarterback Kevin O'Connell and receiver/returner Matthew Slater all had significant playing time.
"Well, I think that was a good learning experience for our team tonight. Baltimore is a pretty physical club and it was a very competitive game all the way. I think we got a lot out of it. Certainly, there are a lot of things we could do better but I thought there were some positives out there to work with. We will come in tomorrow, correct those mistakes and try to move forward here." -- Bill Belichick
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