The New England Patriots took on the Green Bay Packers in the second preseason game of the 2023 season on Saturday night. The atmosphere at Lambeau Field was fiery and competitive, making for a great environment as the Patriots finished the game holding a 21-17 lead.
The matchup was suspended with a little over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter after rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered a severe hit to the head that required significant medical evaluation.
Bolden had to be stretchered off the field, and the Patriots released a statement after the game noting that he had feeling in all of his extremities. Our thoughts and prayers are with him to get better soon.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
1
Rookie wide receivers: Where do they fit?
Although they were heavily rumored to take a wide receiver early in the 2023 NFL draft, the Patriots instead chose to go defense with the selections of cornerback Christian Gonzalez and defensive lineman Keion White.
While they got a fair amount of pushback from fans and media for this decision, they still planned to address their offensive skill group. In the sixth round, the team took a pair of receivers, Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, hoping at least one could contribute to the receiving corps.
But the team drafted too well, or so it seems.
Douglas has seen few in-game snaps this preseason, but he has impressed in training camp, so much so in fact that some media members think the late-round pick has already made the 53-man roster.
#Patriots rookie WR Demario Douglas is tracking to play 2 offensive snaps for the second straight preseason game for the best reason possible: he's a made man.
Douglas might not start Week 1, but the coaching staff is hiding him. He's in.
— Andrew Callahan (@_AndrewCallahan) August 20, 2023
But Boutte has also flashed an ability to contribute well to New England’s passing game. Late in the second quarter on Saturday night, he used his straight-line speed to evade a few defenders and tie up the game.
KAYSHON BOUTTE TD 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/DyYioRknoo
— Savage (@SavageSports_) August 20, 2023
But while two late-round fliers turning into budding NFL receivers represents what would be a very successful draft for many teams, it presents a dilemma for the Patriots. With four other receivers already a near lock to make the roster (JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, Kendrick Bourne, and Tyquan Thornton), there will likely only be space for one more.
Moreover, based on their performances in the offseason, they likely wouldn’t stay on New England’s practice squad long before being signed by another team.
The Patriots have been struggling to get consistently productive receivers for the past few seasons. If they can harness either Douglas’ or Boutte’s potential, it would be an absolute win for the front office.
2
Special teams has yet to improve
New England’s first offensive play of the game was nullified by a false start penalty on left tackle Trent Brown. This flag surely brought back a few flashbacks for Patriots fans, as Brown was the culprit of far too many such infractions last year amidst inconsistent play on the offensive line.
But in Saturday’s game, while the offensive line did experience its fair share of mistakes, it was the special teams unit that truly caught the eye of the officials.
While rookie punter Bryce Baringer flashed his big leg with two punts of 61 yards and 59 yards, respectively, New England’s special teams unit just could not get out of its own way. The Patriots had three special teams penalties throughout the day, with all three coming on plays in which New England was receiving the ball.
The Patriots’ special teams unit disappointed last season, and while Joe Judge moving back to the third facet of the game theoretically brings positive change back to the position group, Saturday’s game indicated that the unit may have a long way to go.
3
What happens with Malik Cunningham?
In the first preseason game, Malik Cunningham showed the Patriots that he belonged on the 53-man roster. While at quarterback, he dazzled both through the air and on the ground and gave New England’s offense an electric feel.
But while the performance excited many fans and media, it didn’t catapult Cunningham into any immediate quarterback conversation.
The Patriots demonstrated this fact in Saturday’s game. Backup quarterback Bailey Zappe manned the helm into the fourth quarter, leaving Cunningham to operate on the field as a receiver. Although his raw athleticism allowed him to look the part, Cunningham’s lack of experience at the position showed as he couldn’t corral any of the five passes that were thrown his way.
Based on the eye test, Cunningham should easily make New England’s 53-man roster, and can even do so as a quarterback. It isn’t unusual for the Patriots to carry three QBs on their roster into the season, and Cunningham has demonstrated far more ability than current third-string option Trace McSorley.
But if the team was strongly considering that option, why would they be giving Cunningham reps at receiver? Based on his strong (albeit limited) preseason play, he seems to have the potential to be a very good dual-threat quarterback.
Only time will tell what Cunningham’s future with New England entails, but based on his play so far this fall, there should be little question whether he cracks the Patriots’ roster. The only question that remains is where he will fall when he does.
