Ups And Downs From Patriots' Preseason Win Over Panthers
By Michael Hurley, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- Jimmy Garoppolo played. Tom Brady played.
The Patriots survived.
Despite the mass hysteria that spread across talk radio airwaves and television screens around the region heading into this third preseason game over the use of the two quarterbacks, it turned out that both James and Thomas were able to get in some work without the world shifting off its axis.
That was but one of the areas of focus from Friday night's game down in Carolina, and so let's run through the ups and the downs from the Patriots' 19-17 victory over the Carolina Panthers. In order to avoid too much positivity and too much negativity, I'll go ahead and alternate the ups and the downs in order to strike a balance.
UP: Logan Ryan
Even before the cornerback came up with an interception on Cam Newton, the cornerback was doing a number on receiver Kelvin Benjamin. The only pass Ryan allowed early got called back for offensive pass interference. And then, on a second-and-8, Newton trusted his guy to beat Ryan. Ryan won. The corner marched step-for-step with Benjamin, and despite being six inches shorter, Ryan used his positioning to go up and come down with the football.
DOWN: Jimmy Garoppolo In The Red Zone
Against New Orleans, Garoppolo threw across his body into traffic in the red zone. Against Chicago, he nearly threw another red-zone pick. And against Carolina, he did it again, miscommunicating with Julian Edelman and throwing a pass directly off Luke Kuechly's chest. He's gotten away with them in the preseason, but in any of the cases, if the defender had just made the easy play, those could be game-turning interceptions. Those can't happen come September.
Garoppolo also took an intentional grounding penalty, and he finished 9-for-15 for 57 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions. He had a fumble, which New England recovered.
He didn't look bad, per se, but he didn't look very good. That was somewhat to be expected against a defense as fast and strong as Carolina's, but it was also a bit of a dose of reality.
UP: Tom Brady's Entrance
It felt like an old-school WWF moment late in the first quarter when Tom Brady entered the game like the Ultimate Warrior flying down the ramp toward the ring. The crowd got loud, with the cheers equaling the boos, and it created a rare preseason moment that was actually kind of exciting. And on his first snap, he threw over the middle to Aaron Dobson, who spun off a tackle and broke free for 37 yards. Brady nearly capped off the drive with a touchdown to Martellus Bennett, but the pass was just a touch too high. Brady made up for it later by throwing a 35-yard touchdown pass to Chris Hogan. It was a thing of beauty.
DOWN: Stephen Gostkowski And The Field Goal Unit
Stephen Gostkowski has spent the last decade establishing himself as a historically accurate kicker, so there's no reason to panic. But the misses on Friday night were not good. First, he missed a chip shot 30-yarder after a low snap from Joe Cardona. Later, on an admittedly long 52-yard attempt, Gostkowski missed badly. The ball didn't even catch the net behind the end zone. Gostkowski finished the night 2-for-4 on field goals and 1-for-1 on his PAT attempt, so it's not exactly a Roberto Aguayo situation. But, after the famed missed PAT in Denver last January, it must be noted.
UP: Chris Long
He's out there for the Patriots looking for a career renaissance, and he's looked capable thus far. He had a particularly good two-play stretch vs. Carolina. First, he drew a holding penalty while lined up at left end by overpowering tight end Ed Dickson. On the ensuing first-and-20, Long dropped into coverage, unbeknownst to Cam Newton, who tried to hit Devin Funchess on a crossing route. Long got his hand in the air and made a leap, getting his hand on the pass and deflecting it right into Devin McCourty's bread basket for an interception. Once again, Long looked good on the field while not lighting up the stat sheet.
DOWN: A.J. Derby's Drop
Last week, A.J. Derby took the world by storm with a couple of spectacular catches. This week, he may be a little bit more nervous about his roster spot. That's because Tom Brady hit the tight end on a third-and-4 right on the hands, but Derby dropped the pass. The sixth-round pick has little room for error this preseason, and that one's got to sting.
UP: Cyrus Jones' Punt Return
The rookie's best chance to be an impact player in year one is as a punt returner, and he finally broke loose midway through the third quarter on Friday night. He made an impressive catch while moving back toward his goal line inside the 10-yard line before spinning to his right. He juked Brandon Wegher and found loads of space to run up the numbers on the right side of the field before cutting all the way across the field. He got past the punter but eventually had to slow down, allowing the punter to take him down. But he didn't hit the turf until he had gained 60 yards, and he's likely already secured that job for the regular season.
DOWN: Terrance Knighton
When he signed with the Patriots, it was sort of a big deal. It made a lot of headlines. People started to envision how he'd fit in with the Patriots. So far, he hasn't fit in at all.
The man known as "Pot Roast" was treated like a plate of leftovers on Friday night, as he didn't so much as step off the sidelines all night long. That likely doesn't bode well for his chances of making the team, which would come as a surprise. Now, it would be surprising if he survives next week's cuts.
UP: LeGarrette Blount
Literally. He was up. When you leap over another adult human male, you land on the "Ups" list. Granted, Blount could have really cemented his spot on the list if he could have picked up the yard on fourth-and-1, but that's a tall task when Luke Kuechly is on your back. In all, Blount picked up 26 yards on five carries and another 16 yards on three receptions. He also had a fumble, which he recovered himself. But also, he jumped over a man.
DOWN: Brandon King's Special Teams Penalty
This one goes down as nit-picking, but it won't go unnoticed by Bill Belichick or Joe Judge. It came on the first drive, after the defense forced a three-and-out, as Brandon King ran right into punter Mike Scifres. It was a short kick, too, so it allowed Carolina a second chance.
Granted, the second punt was even worse, so it was a no harm-no foul situation.
UP: Team Defense
The first-team defense forced the same number of turnovers (3) as it allowed points. Cam Newton, the reigning MVP, couldn't get much of anything going, finishing 13-for-29 (44.8 percent) for 100 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. The defense also limited Newton to just 9 yards rushing. Though the backups gave up two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, the defense made it clear that it's the strongest unit on this team right now.
DOWN: Third Down Offense
The Patriots went 1-for-13 on third down and 0-for-1 on fourth down. Needless to say, work needs to be done in the next two weeks. That's not going to cut it.
UP: Health
Most important of all, the Patriots made it out of a steamy night in Charlotte without so much as a leg cramp. That's what matters most at this time of year.
You can email Michael Hurley or find him on Twitter @michaelFhurley.
