6 insights from the Patriots’ season finale

Here’s a look at what we learned from the Patriots’ season finale on Sunday night.

The Patriots’ preseason ended on Sunday night with their only road game of the summer against the Washington Commanders. Unlike most NFL teams who view this final game as a mere stall, the Patriots used it as an opportunity to get the majority of their roster on the field.

While Washington had 34 players on the bench, the Patriots had only a handful of players out of uniform, most of whom were injured. This presented an opportunity to test some of the Patriots’ more important players – albeit against weaker competition.

Who stood out and who made the roster in their final audition? Let’s get to the Patriots’ final takeaways from the preseason…

Lots to like about Drake Maye

Sunday night was the longest look fans could get at the rookie quarterback Drake Mayand the third pick overall. He finished the game completing 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and a touchdown, with three more runs for 17 yards.

As long as Maye was in the game, he seemed to have everything under control. He played his game, shot on the run and created other chances with his legs, as shown by his converted 3rd & 14 from a scrum.

The most impressive moment for Maye came at the end of the first half when he got a chance to run a two-minute drill. These situations were Maye’s biggest problem in training camp, but in this game he led the offense down the field. The drive probably should have ended in a touchdown, but the Patriots’ offensive line couldn’t line up properly, a problem that was prevalent all night (more on that in a moment). For a preseason game, though, the individual execution is remarkable.

The most encouraging thing about the night, though, was that Maye did all of this despite the offense falling apart around him at times (more on that later). That ability to mask weaknesses elsewhere in the offense and make the players around him better is what made Maye such a highly-rated prospect coming out of UNC. He’ll have to prove he can do that consistently, and not just on one drive, but it was still an encouraging theme throughout the night.

Jacoby Brissett’s injury

Jacoby Brissett played only one series in this game, but was involved in what may have been the most talked about moment of the game. Brissett was hit on a botched block attempt, resulting in a sack.

Brissett stayed in the game and made two more throws, but continued to grab his shoulder. The Patriots officially announced that his return was questionable due to a right shoulder injury, which was purely theoretical since he was only expected to make one or two drives anyway. He remained in uniform on the sidelines for the rest of the game. Jerod Mayo said after the game that Brissett could have returned if the team needed him, but he would be re-evaluated on Monday.

Even if Brissett makes it through Week 1, what happened Sunday night reminds us of a question looming for the Patriots: What happens if Brissett gets injured before the Patriots are ready to start Drake Maye? Would Maye take over, or would they bring in a veteran player as a buffer? Mayo didn’t give a clear answer to that when asked after the game, but the team’s roster moves over the next few days should give us a clue — especially whether or not they keep four quarterbacks on the original roster.

Offensive line a mess

As encouraging as Drake Maye’s performance was, the offensive line’s performance was just as, if not more, disheartening. It wasn’t just their production (they allowed one sack and four quarterback hits, allowing the Patriots to gain 5.3 yards per carry), but also their style of operation.

The Patriots received a total of 18 penalties in this game (including those declined by Washington), 11 of which were committed by the offense. Of those 11, 10 were committed by offensive linemen. These include four penalties for illegal lineup (three against left tackle Chuks Okoraforwho repeatedly positioned himself too far behind the line of scrimmage) and a false start.

These penalties were not the only problem for the offensive line. There were two bad snaps by Nick Leverett – one from the shotgun, one under center. There were also several occasions where offensive linemen stepped on Maye’s feet as he dropped back and they fell into their passing sets.

After Sunday night, it is clear that the Patriots have a lot of cleaning to do on the offensive line before the season opener in two weeks. They may have to do it while working with a new combination up front after losing the starting guard Sidy Sow suffered an injury and had to leave the game wearing a walking boot. Offensive Line Coach Scott Peters has his hands full.

Outstanding receivers – for better or for worse

It was a mixed evening for the Patriots receivers. Players who were on the edge did not apply much pressure, Jalen Reagor And Kayshon Boutte both had instances where they ran sloppy routes. Boutte’s lack of play until late in the game doesn’t bode well for his chances on the roster. Tyquan Thornton On the third attempt there was a misunderstanding with Maye.

Meanwhile, Rookie Ja’Lynn Polk finished the summer strong. He had two catches for 33 yards and another 13-yard catch that was recovered by holding. Polk’s most notable play came late in the first half when he caught a middle over from Drake Maye after a play-action look under center. For Patriots fans looking ahead, this is the play to watch. First-round quarterback to second-round receiver, a call that is the bread and butter for the new offensive coordinator Alex Van Pelt. This is exactly the vision the team is working towards.

Defensive bubble

Meanwhile, things were going much better for the bubble players on the defensive side of the ball. Linebacker Joe Giles-Harris was the big winner, highlighting the night with an interception, but also playing well as a run defender. However, he was injured during the game.

William Bradley King has helped him as well. The Patriots expect to start the season with little to show for it, so his ability as a pass rusher (combined with his special teams skills) makes him a strong candidate to make the roster.

In the meantime, Tryst Hill put himself in an interesting position. He committed a bad illegal blindside block penalty on Bradley-King’s interception, off the play. That lack of attention could give the coaches pause at one of the deeper positions on the roster.

Kickers

In the night of Monday Joey Slye seemed to be the clear leader in the kicker battle Chad Ryland. The coaching staff gave him a couple of chances to make a decisive hit, with a 64-yard attempt at the end of the first half and a 60-yard attempt at the end of the game. However, he missed both. Ryland got a 38-yard attempt and an extra point and made both.

With those kicks, Slye finished the summer 43-of-54, including 25-of-33 from 40+. Ryland was 41-of-54, including 19-of-29 from 40+ (PATs in games are counted as 33-yard field goals). Slye still seems to have the best chance, but will Ryland’s status as a recent fourth-round pick play a role in the decision? We’ll know soon enough.

Alex Barth is a digital content producer and host at 98.5 The Sports Hub. Barth grew up in the Boston area and began covering the New England Patriots, Boston Celtics and Boston Red Sox in 2017 before joining the Hub in 2020. Today, he covers all things Boston sports for 985TheSportsHub.com and also makes live on-air appearances. Alex writes about all New England sports as well as college football. You can follow him on all social media platforms at @RealAlexBarth.