Final, Patriots 31-3: Well, that’s one way to kick off a season.
The New England Patriots opened their 2019 preseason slate by walloping Matt Patricia’s Detroit Lions 31-3 at Ford Field, with the offense and defense both putting on thoroughly impressive performances.
With nearly every projected Patriots starter sitting out, an offense led by Brian Hoyer (12 of 14, 147 yards, two touchdowns) and Jarrett Stidham (14 of 24, 179 yards, one touchdown) found the end zone on three of its first four possessions.
Defensively, New England tallied nine sacks and one interception and surrendered just a fourth-quarter field goal.
Wide receiver N’Keal Harry, tight end Matt LaCosse and cornerback Keion Crossen all left the game with injuries. It’s unclear how severe their injuries were.
The Patriots will visit the Tennessee Titans next Saturday in Week 2 of the preseason.
Fourth quarter, 2:17, Patriots 31-3: Tyrell Crosby is going to see Chase Winovich in his nightmares after this week.
Winovich beat the overmatched offensive tackle for a second time tonight to split a sack with Byron Cowart. That’s nine total sacks for the Patriots, who had their shutout bid broken when the Lions finally managed a field goal.
Duke Dawson, whose rough performance has been the only real negative New England can take away from tonight, helped set up the score by allowing a long completion to slot receiver Tom Kennedy. Dawson also was flagged for defensive holding on the play.
Fourth quarter, 6:58, Patriots 31-0: We finally got to see Danny Etling try his hand at receiver, and it went … well, let’s just say he still needs some work.
The converted QB was flagged for illegal formation on his first snap as a wideout. Jarrett Stidham tried to force a pass to Etling on the next play, and it fell incomplete.
Etling has played a lot on special teams tonight, though.
Fourth quarter, 12:37, Patriots 31-0: Three-and-out for the Lions’ offense, which has managed just 48 yards of total offense tonight.
Fourth quarter, 14:08, Patriots 31-0: Stephen Gostkowski’s second field-goal attempt of the night split the uprights, adding to his team’s comfortable cushion.
Third quarter, 2:04, Patriots 28-0: Join the sack party, Chase Winovich.
The Patriots rookie continued his stellar week by smoking Tyrell Crosby for New England’s seventh quarterback takedown of the night. At least three of those have come at Crosby’s expense.
We also saw our first pass interference challenge of the season earlier in the drive. Matt Patricia argued that cornerback Joejuan Williams had interfered with Travis Fulgham on a long incompletion, but the officials disagreed. The no-call stood.
Third quarter, 3:07, Patriots 28-0: Dontrelle Inman, who hasn’t done much of anything in his first Patriots training camp, is showing up late in this third quarter.
The veteran wideout’s first target as a Patriot went for 11 yards on third-and-11, moving the ball to Detroit’s 15-yard line. Inman then appeared to find the end zone two plays later but was ruled down at the six-inch line after a successful Lions challenge.
Nick Brossette, who ripped of runs of 17 and 10 yards earlier in the drive, burrowed his way into the end zone one play later. Brossette provided the two-point conversion, as well, hauling in a short pass from Jarrett Stidham.
Third quarter, 8:36, Patriots 20-0: Two solid special teams plays by undrafted rookies: Cornerback D’Angelo Ross fought through multiple Lions blockers to drop punt returner Brandon Powell, and Gunner Olszewski shook one tackle to return the ensuing Lions punt 19 yards.
Third quarter, 11:05, Patriots 20-0: A couple of nice defensive plays by Terrence Brooks and Keion Crossen made up for a boneheaded one by Joejuan Williams, who was penalized for unnecessary roughness after flinging Ty Johnson to the turf 4 yards out of bounds.
Gunner Olszewski is handling kick and punt return duties for the Patriots in this half.
Third quarter, 12:14, Patriots 20-0: Maurice Harris couldn’t hang on to a bomb from Jarrett Stidham that would have resulted in a 41-yard touchdown. Harris has played well tonight, but that’s a catch he needs to make.
Earlier in the drive, Stidham linked up again with Jakobi Meyers for 17 yards. The undrafted sensation now is up to six catches on eight targets for 69 yards and two touchdowns.
Halftime, Patriots 20-0: After a successful Jarrett Stidham scramble on third down and a 26-yard strike to Jakobi Meyers, Stephen Gostkowski missed a field goal that would have extended the Patriots’ lead just before halftime.
Impressive performances thus far from Meyers, Stidham, Maurice Harris and several Patriots pass rushers. New England had six sacks in the first half, including two by Derek Rivers. N’Keal Harry also flashed during his first-quarter cameo.
Tight end Matt LaCosse suffered an apparent leg injury on the final drive of the half and limped to the locker room after receiving medical attention. He’s expected to begin the season as the Patriots’ No. 1 tight end, so we’ll be closely monitoring his status.
The Patriots already are dealing with one injured tight end, as Lance Kendricks did not travel with the team to Detroit.
Second quarter, 2:15, Patriots 20-0: Back-to-back sacks by Shilique Calhoun and Derek Rivers, both of whom are trying to secure roster spots as edge rushers.
Second quarter, 4:28, Patriots 20-0: Jarrett Stidham’s first drive as an NFL quarterback culminated in a 5-yard touchdown pass to Jakobi Meyers, who’s now up to two scores on the night.
Stidham also scrambled for 10 yards on third-and-10 and found Matt LaCosse for 13 yards after a crackback block by Meyers put the Patriots in a first-and-22 hole. Impressive start for the fourth-round pick.
The Patriots went for two after the touchdown, and Stidham was forced to throw the ball away.
Second quarter, 7:33, Patriots 14-0: John Simon smothered a David Fales pass for an interception, giving the ball back to the Patriots deep in Lions territory.
Brian Hoyer’s evening is over. Jarrett Stidham now is in at quarterback for New England.
Second quarter, 8:33, Patriots 14-0: N’Keal Harry is out of the tent and appears to be in good spirits, which is a good sign for the young wideout. He doesn’t have his helmet with him, though, meaning he most likely is not returning to this game. Holding him out would be the smart play for the Patriots.
The rest of the drive featured one very nice route by Braxton Berrios, who shook Andrew Adams to pick up a first down on fourth-and-2, and a few impressive grabs by Jakobi Meyers, the undisputed offensive star of Patriots training camp thus far.
Meyers caught three passes in all during the series, including a 9-yarder in traffic to bring the Patriots inside the 10-yard line and a contested 3-yard touchdown from Brian Hoyer two plays later.
How did this kid go undrafted?
End of the first, Patriots 7-0: N’Keal Harry just made another highlight-reel reception — a regular occurrence for him in practice this summer — on a back-shoulder throw from Brian Hoyer, but he came up limping. He’s currently being looked at by team trainers in the sideline medical tent.
First quarter, 2:19, Patriots 7-0: J.C. Jackson continues to make life difficult for opposing offenses. His breakup of a David Fales deep ball coupled with a big open-field tackle by safety Terrence Brooks on third down forced Detroit to punt.
First quarter, 3:02, Patriots 7-0: Back-to-back highlights by Patriots receivers gave New England its first points of the preseason.
First, N’Keal Harry checked in for the first time in his NFL career and immediately made a diving contested catch to move the chains on third-and-10.
One play later, Brian Hoyer connected with summer standout Maurice Harris, who fought through an uncalled hold to haul in a 14-yard touchdown catch.
First quarter, 5:39, 0-0: Dont’a Hightower and Kyle Van Noy are taking tonight off, and the Patriots’ linebacking still corps looks darn good.
Jamie Collins and Ja’Whaun Bentley destroyed tackles Tyrell Crosby and Andrew Donnal to record back-to-back sacks and force a Lions punt. Collins, in particular, has been around the ball constantly this summer.
First quarter, 8:11, 0-0: The Lions saw a steady dose of Brandon Bolden on the Patriots’ opening possession, with the veteran running back touching the ball on four of six plays.
A hold on Matt LaCosse on one of those Bolden touches put the Pats in a first-and-18 situation, and Brian Hoyer’s pass to Jakobi Meyers two plays later on third-and-5 fell incomplete.
Jake Bailey — not the incumbent Ryan Allen — punted for the Patriots. The fifth-round draft pick already has seen more action than Corey Bojorquez did all last preseason.
First quarter, 11:18, 0-0: Danny Shelton stood out positively on the Patriots’ first defensive series, sacking quarterback Tom Savage and drawing a hold on back-to-back plays.
The same cannot be said for slot corner Duke Dawson, who surrendered a 24-yard reception to Brandon Powell on third-and-8. Dawson struggled over the first two weeks of training camp and hasn’t looked any better here in Detroit.
The Lions lost veteran wide receiver Jermaine Kearse to what appeared to be a serious knee injury during the drive. Several Patriots players — including two of Kearse’s former teammates, Michael Bennett and Mike Pennel — come onto the field to offer support as Kearse was carted off.
7:35 p.m.: Game time. The Lions won the opening coin toss and chose to receive. Rookie punter Jake Bailey will kick off to get things started here in Detroit.
Of note: Patriots defensive end Michael Bennett remained in the locker room during the playing of the national anthem, then jogged out to join the team on the sideline.
7:06 p.m.: A few notes from warmups:
6:51 p.m.: The following players are not in uniform tonight:
WR Julian Edelman (non-football injury list)
WR Josh Gordon (suspended)
WR Cameron Meredith (physically unable to perform list)
WR Demaryius Thomas (PUP)
OT Yodny Cajuste (NFI)
CB Ken Webster (PUP)
SS Nate Ebner (PUP)
Reminder: Just because a player dresses for a preseason game doesn’t mean he’ll play. Expect to see mostly reserves in this game.
6:41 p.m.: Punt returners in warmups: N’Keal Harry, Jakobi Meyers, Gunner Olszewski, Braxton Berrios and Patrick Chung.
Kick returners: Phillip Dorsett and Brandon Bolden.
Here’s our first look at Harry in his new No. 8:
All three quarterbacks are in uniform, but only Brian Hoyer and Jarrett Stidham are expected to play tonight.
5:36 p.m.: Another N’Keal Harry update: He’s among the two dozen or so players — all backups and rookies — currently stretching out with Moses Cabrera. That means there’s a good chance the young wideout will, in fact, play tonight.
5:07 p.m.: N’Keal Harry now is running through a stretching, sprinting and route-running regimen under the watchful eyes of strength coach Moses Cabrera, receivers coach Joe Judge and head trainer Jim Whalen. That type of pregame work typically indicates a player is a game-time decision.
So, we might see Harry on the field tonight after all. Stay tuned.
5 p.m.: Miss any of our joint practice coverage? Catch up on some of our top stories from the week while we count down the final hours until kickoff:
— 11 questions the Patriots can answer tonight
— Eight things we learned from joint practice
— This lacrosse star-turned-Lions receiver has all the makings of a future Patriot
— Versatile UDFA Andrew Beck could add a jolt of athleticism to the Patriots’ fullback position
— C.J. Anderson’s special connection with Bill Belichick
— Jason McCourty shared some simple advice for Patriots rookies
— Sony Michel is making strides as a pass-catcher
— Chase Winovich put on quite a show in his return to Michigan
— Shilique Calhoun is earning first-team reps in the Patriots’ defense
— The Jakobi Meyers hype train keeps rolling
— Tom Brady opens up about his “unique” new contract
4:40 p.m.: Good afternoon from Ford Field, where a few Patriots players have begun to trickle out of the locker room. One of them is Danny Etling, the fourth-string quarterback who’s trying to earn a roster spot as a wide receiver/special teamer.
First-round draft pick N’Keal Harry, who is not expected to play tonight after tweaking his hamstring in practice this week, joined Etling for a spell and seemed to be moving well.
2 p.m. ET: Six months and five days after smothering the Los Angeles Rams to win their sixth Super Bowl title, the New England Patriots will make their triumphant return to the gridiron tonight as they visit the Detroit Lions in their 2019 preseason opener.
Those hoping to watch a star-studded Patriots squad at Ford Field will be disappointed — most starters, including quarterback Tom Brady, are not expected to play — but this first exhibition matchup will give us our first real look at New England’s intriguing rookie class and the numerous veteran newcomers who came aboard over the offseason.
First-round pick N’Keal Harry likely will not play after suffering an apparent hamstring injury during joint practice on Tuesday, but wide receiver Jakobi Meyers (undrafted), cornerback Joejuan Williams (second round), edge rusher Chase Winovich (third), running back Damien Harris (third) and quarterback Jarrett Stidham (fourth) should see plenty of playing time.
The Patriots today announced new jersey numbers for their first-year players, who had been sporting temporary digits in the 50s, 60s and 70s since the spring.
Along with Brady and Harry, the list of Patriots expected to sit this one out include running backs Sony Michel and James White, offensive linemen Joe Thuney, David Andrews, Shaq Mason and Marcus Cannon, defensive linemen Michael Bennett and Lawrence Guy, linebackers Kyle Van Noy and Dont’a Hightower, special teamer Matthew Slater and defensive backs Devin McCourty, Patrick Chung, Jonathan Jones, Jason McCourty and Stephon Gilmore.
Wideouts Julian Edelman, Demaryius Thomas and Cameron Meredith, running back Rex Burkhead, tight end Lance Kendricks, safety Nate Ebner, cornerback Ken Webster and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste all will not play after not participating in any of the team’s three joint practices with the Lions this week.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Be sure to follow along throughout the afternoon for full pregame coverage.
