The Green Bay Packers and New England Patriots agreed to end Saturday’s night preseason game at Lambeau Field with 10:29 left in the fourth quarter after Patriots cornerback Isaiah Bolden suffered a serious injury. The Patriots held a 21-17 lead at the time of the injury and were declared the winner.
An instant analysis and recap of the Packers’ preseason loss to the Patriots:
Final score: Patriots 21, Packers 17
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | F | |
| NE | 7 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 21 |
| GB | 7 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
It was over when...
… Isaiah Bolden’s scary injury led to Bill Belichick and Matt LaFleur mutually agreeing to end the contest in the fourth quarter. Bailey Zappe’s fourth-down touchdown run gave the Patriots a 21-17 lead on the final play of the third quarter.
Game balls
WR Romeo Doubs: The second-year receiver made a difficult catch in traffic to convert a third down and then made the play of the day when he won deep and hauled in a 42-yard pass from Jordan Love along the sideline.
OLB Kingsley Enagbare: His sack on the Patriots’ second possession ended the drive by forcing a punt; his second sack resulted in a forced (and recovered) fumble, leading to a Packers touchdown.
K Anders Carlson: The rookie made both extra points and a 52-yard field goal right before the half.
WR Malik Heath: The undrafted free agent from Ole Miss caught five passes for 75 yards, including a 25-yarder from Sean Clifford in the second half.
Key stat
11: The Packers committed 11 penalties, including four resulting in first downs for the Patriots. Starting offensive linemen Zach Tom and Elgton Jenkins both had penalties, and rookie Carrington Valentine was flagged twice, including once in the end zone.
Jordan Love Watch
Love played three series. The first ended in a turnover, the second ended in a punt and the third ended in the end zone. Despite the slow start, Love completed 5-of-8 passes for 84 yards and a touchdown. His passer rating was 137.5, and he also rushed once for 11 yards. Love hit Romeo Doubs for a third-down conversion, found Doubs again for a 42-yard completion and connected with Jayden Reed on a 19-yard touchdown pass.
Quick hits
— Matt LaFleur said the botched snap on the first series was the result of Josh Myers believing the Patriots jumped into the neutral zone.
— The Packers started Rasheed Walker over Yosh Nijman at left tackle. Nijman was in the game at right tackle into the fourth quarter. Both Walker and Zach Tom looked good in pass pro in the first half.
— Colby Wooden and Karl Brooks can play. They were both disruptive, especially as rushers. Brooks had a sack, plus a second sack that was negated by penalty.
— The Packers gained over 250 total yards in the first half. During the first six quarters of the preseason, Matt LaFleur’s team produced almost 700 total yards. The offense has moved the ball well through two games.
— Malik Heath just keeps making plays. Grant DuBose also had a nice play on a 21-yard catch in traffic.
— Emanuel Wilson ran hard again and even made some plays in the passing game. He’s making a run at the No. 3 spot, although Patrick Taylor scored a touchdown and looked solid on special teams.
— Rookie cornerback Carrington Valentine and rookie safety Anthony Johnson Jr. both flashed playmaking ability and dealt with the typical ups and downs of a young player learning on the field.
Injury updates
Four reported injuries for the Packers on Saturday night: fullback Henry Pearson left with a knee injury, receiver Dontayvion Wicks left with a hamstring injury, safety Tarvarius Moore left with a knee injury and center Jake Hanson left with a shin injury.
What's next
The Packers have two more open practices next week before hosting the Seattle Seahawks on Saturday for the preseason finale at Lambeau Field. Matt LaFleur has another week with a 90-man roster, and Brian Gutekunst has another week to evaluate who should be on his 53-man roster come Week 1.
