Starting with the cornerbacks, New England has been practicing with CBs Alex Austin and D.J. James as their top outside corners because starters Christian Gonzalez and Cartlon Davis aren’t participating in practices (and didn’t dress on Friday night). Austin is a heavy favorite to be the Pats third outside corner. He had a textbook pass breakup in the end zone where he drove the receiver’s hands from out of phase, prying the ball out when it arrived in K.J. Osborn’s hands. As for the other camp riser at corner, James jumped a deep hitch by Commanders WR Michael Gallup for a pick. Gallup slipped at the top of the route, but James was still all over the route.
Lastly, Harvard product Truman Jones continues to catch the eye with two quarterback pressures and a pair of run stuffs. Jones plays with good physicality on the edge and has some first-step explosiveness to convert speed-to-power as a rusher. He’s in the mix to earn a roster spot as a depth option and special-teamer at edge defender.
6. Notes on the Patriots Undrafted Rookies in Their Preseason Debuts
– The second-half flashes from WR Efton Chism III were not surprising as the undrafted rookie led the team in targets (8), catches (6) and receiving yards (50). Chism sat down nicely to move the chains on a third-down option route, caught a 12-yard touchdown on a shallow crosser in a mesh concept and had a nice 20-yard screen. Chism did run a third-down route short of the sticks on a 3rd-and-1, but Vrabel pointed to his play strength as a blocker and ball carrier as something that stood out to him.
– Undrafted rookie RB Lan Larison finished with 44 scrimmage yards (35 rushing, nine receiving) and a touchdown. He showed some burst to the edge, bouncing off his longest run (16 yards), and forced two missed tackles with some hard running. Larison is in the mix to make the team as the fourth back.
-Undrafted rookie Elijah Ponder is catching the eye in 1-on-1s during practice and had a pressure on 10 pass-rush snaps on Friday night.
– UDFA corner Jordan Polk was in the right spot when a Josh Johnson pass deflected off Jacoby Jones’s hands and into Polk’s lap. Jones then got him back by beating him on the goal-line with a whip route for a touchdown. Polk has an uphill battle to make the roster, but the interception was a nice moment. The sideline was amped for Polk.
7. Kicker Competition Continues: Do the Patriots Have Two Kickers?
The Patriots kicker competition is legit. Although a tie would seemingly go to sixth-rounder Andy Borregales as a rookie draft pick, Parker Romo isn’t making things easy on the Pats brass to release him. Romo drilled a 57-yard field goal and made all three of his extra points, while Borregales hit from 22 yards and also made three PATs. These two have barely missed all summer, and you have to wonder if the tie goes to Borregales, does Romo have any trade value? Given how well he’s been kicking this summer, it’s hard to envision Romo making it to the practice squad.
8. An Injury and Other Notable Takeaways
–WR Ja’Lynn Polk didn’t finish the game after landing hard while carrying the ball on an end around. Vrabel didn’t have an update on Polk.
-RB Antonio Gibson had a great kickoff return of his own (62 yards) and added 37 scrimmage yards. Gibson continues to be a valuable piece for this team. Kudos to special teams coordinator Jeremy Springer and top assistant Tom Quinn. They had their units ready to go.
-Edge-setter Anfernee Jennings played into the fourth quarter on Friday night. It’s always noteworthy when a veteran and former starter plays late in a preseason game.
-WR Javon Baker didn’t have a catch on two targets but made two tackles on special teams. If he makes the roster as a depth receiver, he’ll need to contribute on special teams to be active on game days.
-WR John Jiles ran a nice intermediate crosser for a 26-yard gain, followed by an explosive play from Jeremiah Webb on a catch-and-run off a snag route (33 yards) to headline a scoring drive.
-Rookie QB Ben Woolridge showed well, going 9-for-12 for 132 yards and a touchdown. Woolridge was more accurate on his throws than he was in practice—hopefully, something to build on for the undrafted rookie.
9. 12 Patriots Don’t Dress for New England’s Preseason Opener
On a housekeeping note, 12 players didn’t suit up for the Patriots in Friday night’s contest. Most had pre-existing injuries or treatment plans with a few veteran rest guys, so there weren’t any major surprises: WR Stefon Diggs, CB Christian Gonzalez, DT Christian Barmore, CB Carlton Davis, LB Harold Landry, OT Morgan Moses, LB K’Lavon Chaisson, WR Kendrick Bourne, LB Jahlani Tavai, OT Vederian Lowe, T/G Caedan Wallace, and G Sidy Sow.
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