FOXBORO, Mass. — The Patriots kicked off their 2023 preseason with a 20-9 loss to the Houston Texans on Thursday night at Gillette Stadium.
Here are 11 at-the-whistle takeaways from New England’s exhibition opener:
1. Night off for the starters
As expected, most of New England’s established veterans on both sides of the ball sat this one out, with many not even bothering to put on their cleats or grab their helmets as they watched from the sideline.
The vast majority of the players who saw action against Houston were either rookies or on the roster bubble, with a few notable exceptions. Linebacker Jahlani Tavai, cornerback Jack Jones and safety Jalen Mills all were starters or key contributors on last season’s team, and all three were in the starting lineup Thursday night.
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Tyquan Thornton also played while JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker and Kendrick Bourne sat, illustrating where he sits in the Patriots’ current wide receiver hierarchy.
Thornton also saw far more snaps than rookie Demario Douglas, who’s outperformed him on the practice field. Douglas’ playing time Thursday was fleeting — a good sign for the sixth-round rookie.
Keep scrolling for more on Mills’ and Thornton’s performances.
2. Disruptive debut for Keion White
New England’s top performer Thursday night? It had to be White. The second-round draft pick was a tornado of destruction up front for the Patriots, frequently overwhelming Houston’s offensive line and making life difficult for quarterbacks C.J. Stroud and Davis Mills.
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White officially was credited with three tackles and one quarterback hit, but he also helped force a turnover when he bodied Texans running back Dare Ogunbowale after a botched pitch. Calvin Munson recovered for the Patriots.
We also saw multiple alignments from White, who was a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end on some of his snaps and a stand-up edge rusher on others. Quality of competition must be taken into account — Houston also was playing its backup O-line — but this was a fantastic first impression from the Georgia Tech product.
3. Thornton flashes
As a second-round draft pick entering his second season, Thornton’s roster spot should be safe this summer. But he’s someone who badly needs a solid preseason after an uninspiring start to training camp.
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Thursday night was a step in the right direction for the young speedster. Thornton caught just two passes for 31 yards, but one was a leaping contested reception from Zappe that picked up 27 yards on third-and-8.
Patriots great Dont’a Hightower was impressed.
We’ll see if Thornton, who was no higher than fifth on the wideout depth chart entering this game, can keep that momentum going next week in joint practices with the Green Bay Packers.
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4. O-line woes
Shaky blocking up front has been a persistent issue for the Patriots this summer, and this was a rough night for their O-line backups. Quarterback Bailey Zappe, who played into the third quarter, faced near-constant pressure, and New England’s reserve backs had little room to run.
At halftime, the Patriots had run 21 plays and gained a total of 65 yards — 27 of which came on Thornton’s long reception. Outside of that big gain, they averaged just 1.9 yards per play in the first half.
Conor McDermott, who’s mostly worked at right tackle this summer, started on the left side and struggled. So did rookie Sidy Sow. James Ferentz was flagged for two penalties. Kody Russey, who’s emerged as one of their top interior reserves, left with an injury.
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This performance drove home what already was obvious: The Patriots’ O-line badly needs to get and stay healthy. There isn’t a lot of reliable depth in that group.
5. Whole lotta Zappe
Zappe was an efficient 12-for-14 but finished with just 79 passing yards and was sacked twice. That he still was in the game in the second half while Mac Jones spent the night spectating should tell you all you need to know about how much “competition” the Patriots have at quarterback.
Third-stringer Trace McSorley went 1-for-3 for 4 yards and took one sack.
6. Malik magic
Undrafted rookie Malik Cunningham took over behind center midway through the fourth quarter, injecting some intrigue into what was an otherwise sleepy second half.
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We hoped to see Cunningham take some snaps at QB after the Patriots used him there in each of the last two practices, and the former Louisville star didn’t disappoint.
Playing against bottom-of-the-roster Texans defenders, Cunningham carried the ball five times for 34 yards and a touchdown and completed 3 of 4 passes for 19 yards. His lone incompletion was a would-be touchdown that bounced off Tre Nixon’s hands. His rushing score featured a ruthless juke that faked linebacker Jake Hansen out of his shoes.
Cunningham also saw a handful of snaps at wide receiver — his primary position since he joined the Patriots in May — earlier in the game. What are the Patriots’ long-term plans for him? That’s still unclear. But he’s a fun player and excellent athlete who has gadget-weapon potential if he cracks the 53-man roster.
7. Rhamondre Stevenson’s backups fail to impress
No, the line play was not good for New England. But it would have been nice to see something out of the Patriots’ trio of backup running backs. Kevin Harris finished with 10 yards on eight carries. Pierre Strong had six carries for 21 yards and three catches for 12 yards. J.J. Taylor: four carries, 4 yards and a failed two-point conversion. Ty Montgomery remained sidelined with the injury he suffered early in training camp.
The Patriots need to add another veteran to their backfield before Week 1. It’s too risky to roll with just Stevenson and this supporting cast.
8. Mills settling in at safety
After two seasons as a starting outside cornerback for New England, Mills switched to safety this offseason. He called it a return to his natural position, and he looked more than comfortable in his first game action there.
The eighth-year veteran intercepted a Stroud pass on the opening drive and later bulldozed through a wide receiver’s block for a powerful run stuff.
Even without the retired Devin McCourty, the Patriots should be well-stocked at safety this season. Mills is part of a deep group of versatile veterans that also features Kyle Dugger, Adrian Phillips and Jabrill Peppers, all of whom got the night off. Myles Bryant can play there, too.
9. Christian Gonzalez impressions
Gonzalez, who looks like a lock to start at outside cornerback, played the first four defensive series for New England. The first-round draft pick was knocked backward by receiver Nico Collins on the game’s opening play and later allowed a catch to Steven Sims on a crossing pattern, though Gonzalez recovered on the latter to punch the ball out of Sims’ hands (and out of bounds).
Some good, some not-so-good from the highly touted Oregon product, who also saw reps on the punt return team. Kind of like his summer as a whole. Patriots fans still should be excited about what he can bring to this defense.
10. School’s in session for Marte Mapu
The Patriots’ third-round draft pick dressed for the game — sporting his new No. 30 — but did not play. That wasn’t a major surprise, as Mapu has yet to practice without a red non-contact jersey since undergoing offseason pectoral surgery and said last week that he still had “a little bit of ways to go” in his recovery.
Mapu stayed busy, though. He spent the night glued to the hip of defensive play-caller Steve Belichick, clipboard in hand.
Teammates have raved about Mapu’s intelligence and penchant for peppering veterans with questions, so it wasn’t surprising that the Sacramento State product wanted to be as engaged as possible.
11. Leftover notes
— Big night for reunions at Gillette. David Andrews and his former longtime right guard, Shaq Mason, had a long chat during pregame warmups. A couple of Patriots D-linemen shot the breeze with Byron Cowart. Derek Rivers jogged over to hug a few Patriots assistant coaches.
Mason, Cowart, Rivers are three of more than a half-dozen ex-Patriots who now play for the Texans, whose general manager, Nick Caserio, is another New England alum.
— Speaking of old friends, Dalton Keene scored a rushing touchdown for Houston on a goal-line fullback dive.
— Tank Dell, a popular Patriots target during this year’s pre-draft process, enjoyed a stellar Texans debut. The undersized wideout caught six passes for 65 yards in the first half and scored a juggling touchdown reminiscent of the Jermaine Kearse catch from Super Bowl XLIX. Dell’s quickness gave Jack Jones problems on several plays.
— The Patriots honored the New England Free Jacks and Boston Renegades before kickoff for their recent championships in Major League Rugby and the Women’s Football Alliance, respectively.
Featured image via Brian Fluharty/USA TODAY Sports Images
