The Patriots received a potential glimpse into the future Monday night in Arizona.
Three New England rookies made a significant impact in the Patriots' two-touchdown win over the Cardinals. Running backs Pierre Strong Jr. and Kevin Harris, tasked with filling the void left behind by an injured Rhamondre Stevenson, both scored their first NFL touchdowns at State Farm Stadium. And Marcus Jones, who's quickly becoming one of the Patriots' more dynamic playmakers, logged his first career interception on a night when he did a little bit of everything.
All three players earned postgame shoutouts from head coach Bill Belichick after New England improved to 7-6 and reclaimed an AFC Wild Card spot. So too did an unheralded linebacker who made one of the biggest plays of the Week 14 game.
"Nice job, nice job," Belichick told Patriots players in the locker room, per a team-provided video. "I thought you guys did a really good job this week. I know it was a long week, but we worked hard and that was good. Had some young guys really step up today. Marcus, first interception. Pierre, first touchdown. Harris, first touchdown. Raekwon (McMillan), some good open-field running. Big week for us here, got to turn this around quick. Nice job, fellas. That's a good win."
Depending on the statuses of Stevenson and New England's injured wide receivers, the aforementioned trio could once again be challenged to take on a larger role Sunday when the Patriots visit old friend Josh McDaniels and the Las Vegas Raiders.
