A week-long trip to Wisconsin reached a crescendo for the New England Patriots in Saturday’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers.
The game was ultimately cut short early in the fourth quarter after a horrific head injury suffered by Patriots rookie cornerback Isaiah Bolden. Fortunately, Bolden was able to fly back home with the team after spending the night in the hospital and appears to be in good spirits.
As for the game itself, it was a positive showing from the Patriots with up and down moments. The offense showed signs of life, but the offensive line looked like a mess at times.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots got gashed on the ground for 119 yards and a touchdown, but they had multiple players step up on the backend against the Packers’ passing attack.
Today, we’re taking a look at the best and worst Pro Football Focus grades in the game for the Patriots. This is simply a measure of performance with limited reps in one game. It isn’t the be-all-end-all evaluation for players. So please take it with a grain of salt.
Top 5 offense
- RB Rhamondre Stevenson: 83.1
- WR Demario Douglas: 81.8
- WR Kayshon Boutte: 80.6
- WR Kendrick Bourne: 79.0
- OL Riley Reiff: 73.3
The rookie wide receivers made their mark in this game. For all of the talk of coach Bill Belichick’s drafting struggles, he seems to have finally hit on a pair of talented wideouts in the sixth-round of the 2023 NFL draft.
Demario Douglas gets separation and has the shiftiness to turn short plays into big ones. Meanwhile, Boutte has been a reliable receiving target with the sort of speed that can turn the lights out on a defense in the open field.
Kayshon to the 🏠
📺: @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/DRxRDAG82v
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 20, 2023
It might be smart for the Patriots to keep both receivers on the 53-man roster, even if it means keeping six players at the skilled position.
Top 5 defense
- FS Myles Bryant: 90.7
- SS Brad Hawkins: 77.9
- SS Jabrill Peppers: 75.9
- SS Jalen Mills: 74.2
- MLB Jahlani Tavai: 73.8
The safety position will be in good hands in the post-Devin McCourty era. Granted, there’s no replacing a legend like McCourty, but the Patriots are loaded at the position.
Jalen Mills has consistently made plays in the preseason, and Jabrill Peppers has improved dramatically over last season. Even Myles Bryant, who is underrated as a defender, had a strong outing against the Packers on Saturday night.
Bottom 5 offense
- OL Trent Brown: 36.2
- OL James Ferentz: 39.8
- OL Atonio Mafi: 48.2
- OL Jake Andrews: 49.0
- TE Matt Sokol: 49.4
If there is one glaring weakness for the Patriots, it’s without question the offensive line. The Patriots are lucky quarterback Mac Jones wasn’t injured after the unit allowed a huge blindside hit for a strip sack fumble.
Jones was slow to get up after the play, and we didn’t see him back in the game. Players like Mafi and Andrews might have to step up and contribute immediately with the team dealing with multiple injuries on the offensive front.
Bottom 5 defense
- DL Carl Davis Jr: 29.6
- DL Christian Barmore: 30.6
- DL Davon Godchaux: 34.2
- SS Kyle Dugger: 42.4
- DE Sam Roberts: 45.9
It wasn’t the best night of tackling for the Patriots, and they got pushed around in the trenches and couldn’t generate much pressure up front. The Packers also had plenty of success running the ball directly at the defense.
Kyle Dugger has All-Pro playmaking potential, and Christian Barmore could finally break out in that category as well, if he plays up to his potential. But the leaky running lanes are a concern that need to be addressed immediately.
Other notables
- RB J.J. Taylor: 68.7
- P Bryce Baringer: 60.1
- CB Christian Gonzalez: 57.3
- OL Bill Murray: 71.0
- QB Mac Jones: 58.1
J.J. Taylor was one of the unsung heroes of this game for the Patriots. He isn’t the biggest running back, but he runs bigger than his body with truly spectacular shiftiness. Packers defenders were having a tough time bringing him to the ground without getting shaken out of their cleats.
This was also a strong game for Mac Jones. There was a missed connection with tight end Hunter Henry that would have went for big yards, and wideout DeVante Parker failed to haul in a deep throw. If the offensive line can stand its ground, Jones is going to do very well in Bill O’Brien’s offense.
