Well, the New England Patriots are officially done with preseason games and now turn their attention to roster cuts and preparing for the season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders at Gillette Stadium on Sept. 7.
Here are my preseason takeaways:
First, the early-round picks look legit. I don’t want to get carried away because not every team plays its stars, but based on what we saw, both Will Campbell and TreVeyon Henderson look the part.
With his speed, Henderson is going to create havoc for opposing defenses. Once he sees a hole, if he gets past the first level, no one is going to catch him. He reminds me of Detroit’s Jahmyr Gibbs. Once Gibbs has the ball in his hands, you’re on the edge of your seat because he can take it to the end zone in a matter of seconds.
As for Campbell, he said he was willing to “fight and die” to protect Drake Maye — and so far he’s looked the part. For all the talk about his arm length, it didn’t seem to matter in the three preseason games he played. Sure, there were times he made a mistake and got beat, but he’s a rookie. Even the best tackles in the game get beat on occasion. The biggest thing I’ve noticed is his ability not to repeat mistakes. From where the offensive line was a year ago to now — with rookies Campbell and Jared Wilson on the left side and veterans Morgan Moses and Mike Onwenu on the right — this group should make Maye’s life easier and keep his jersey clean.
The next person to highlight is Mike Vrabel. I’ll admit it: after Bill Belichick left, I was on the Ben Johnson train and wanted him to take over. The offense was pretty bad post-Brady — most would be — but Johnson decided to stay in Detroit for another season, and the Patriots looked elsewhere. I was fine with the Jerod Mayo hiring, mainly because I figured he knew the system, having come up under the Belichick tree. But over time it showed that going from linebackers coach to head coach was too big of a jump for an inexperienced coach.
After this past season, when Mayo was fired, my head initially went back to Johnson. But when Vrabel’s name started circulating, I believed he was the better choice. He’s been there and done it as a player and as a head coach. I felt the Patriots needed a full rebuild, and giving Vrabel the keys to build the culture and start fresh with a second-year quarterback and the No. 4 overall pick was too enticing to pass up. Through this preseason, the team looked well prepared and avoided costly mistakes.
I think back to last preseason against Washington, when the offensive line had seven first-half penalties. That didn’t happen this year. Maybe it was Vrabel drilling discipline into the guys, or maybe it was Josh McDaniels running the offense. With more than two decades of experience as an offensive coordinator or head coach, McDaniels knows how to train players to limit errors.
Vrabel has been a breath of fresh air and has Patriots fans ready for a season filled with hope and optimism.
The last takeaway is the defense. With Christian Gonzalez missing every preseason game due to injury and Carlton Davis playing sparingly, it was hard to get a good read on the secondary. Kyle Dugger struggled, and reports suggest he may even be on the trade block. However, rookie Craig Woodson looked promising as a true safety — something the Patriots have lacked since Devin McCourty retired.
The defense should be fun to watch when it comes to rushing the passer. Milton Williams, Keion White, Christian Barmore, Harold Landry and K’Lavon Chaisson can all get into the backfield, and with a healthy Barmore, the line should be an above-average unit this season.
I can’t wait for football Sundays and making my way to Foxborough to see the Patriots — and the new Tom Brady statue.
