After two days of hard-fought join practices with the Mike Vrabel-led Tennessee Titans, the New England Patriots battled the AFC South squad Saturday night in a Week 2 preseason bout and won by a score of 22-17.
On a night when the defense wasn’t as red-hot as they were in their preseason opener, there were five takeaways that promote much optimism for New England’s squad as they head into a short week that features a game against the Panthers on Thursday night.
1) Chase Winovich showed unstoppable consistency off the edge
After a solid game against the Lions in which rookie defensive end Chase Winovich recorded a sack, the 2019 third round pick blew he preseason debut
stat line out of the water vs. the Titans. Against Tennessee, Winovich had four tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack and a handful of hurries against the Titans’ first and second-team units.
He looked seemingly un-blockable when going against the right side of Tennessee’s offensive line, slipping past their blockers in a number of stances and forcing incomplete passes on a number of plays. He had a stretch during the 2nd quarter in which is seemed like he was getting into the backfield on every single play.
If he keeps it up, Winovich will be earning a bevy of first-team reps in no time.
2) Isaiah Wynn had solid preseason debut
Offensive tackle Isaiah Wynn had his 2019 debut Saturday, hitting the game field for the first time in nearly a year since tearing his Achilles during the 2018 preseason.
In three series of play, Wynn showed consistency as a pass and run blocker, creating lanes for the running backs on multiple occasions, while also keeping Brian Hoyer upright in the pocket.
His competition wasn’t all that fierce, but Wynn’s performance against the Titans was nevertheless promising. The former Bulldog has taken significant strides in his recovery over the past couple weeks, and Week 2 of the preseason highlighted the progress he has made.
Wynn will undoubtedly be the starting left tackle for New England come the regular season, barring any injury setbacks.
3) Damien Harris is everything we expected him to be
Rookie running back Damien Harris also made his preseason debut vs. Tennessee. His versatility out of the backfield that shined during his three seasons with the Crimson Tide was on display Saturday night, which led to 80 total yards and 6.5 yards per carry.
It’s still very unclear what Harris’ role will be come the regular season. But his preseason debut showed why New England couldn’t pass him up in the third round of the draft this past offseason. His vision, patience and power out of the backfield make him an asset that can’t go unused on a Patriots team that has gone run-heavy over the past year.
4) Joejuan Williams continuing to progress in secondary
Former Vanderbilt cornerback Joejuan Williams impressed in his second NFL game. The physical cornerback lined up against the best that the Titans had to offer and performed at a high level. A play that stuck out the most for the rookie was when he covered Titans WR Corey Davis early in the first quarter. He blanketed the third-year wideout and forced the incompletion thanks to his long body.
Williams has a long way to go in his development, but his body type and skillset is something that none of the other cornerbacks on the roster possess. His performance against the Titans foreshadowed what he can do against tall, physical wideouts, which is a tool New England’s defense can utilize going forward. Now, it’s about being more consistent with his performances.
5) Jakobi Meyers steals spotlight on offense again
Just nine days after the UDFA stole the show in the Patriots’ preseason opener with a two-touchdown performance, Jakobi Meyers showed during the game vs. the Titans that his NFL debut wasn’t a fluke.
The former North Carolina State quarterback corralled six receptions for 82 yards against Tennessee, showing time and time again how reliable of a target he can be for any of New England’s quarterbacks.
Meyers is developing into the biggest steal of the offseason. It’s hard to believe he went undrafted. It’s even harder to believe that he may have already locked his spot on the 53-man roster in New England.
