On a night with quarterback Tom Brady stepping onto the field for the first time since taking a knee at Super Bowl LIII, the New England Patriots continued to roll in Thursday’s home-opening preseason game against the Carolina Panthers.
There was plenty to like from a Patriots standpoint with both teams suiting up and playing many of their starters early in the game. However, there were also plenty of questions that went unanswered by poker extraordinaire, coach Bill Belichick, in the post-game press conference. If he kept his cards any closer to his chest, they’d be tattooed there.
Here are five takeaways from the Patriots’ 10-3 win over the Panthers.
1) Brady looked sharp, despite being short-handed
Father Time has one hell of a fight on his hands.
Brady, 42, didn’t miss a beat when taking the field for the first time in the preseason. Everything seemed to be intact from last season—the surgical precision and rapid decision-making. He even showed off his mobility at one point, rushing up the gut of a gaping hole in the Panthers’ defense to convert a first down. His night came to an end after leading the offense on a touchdown drive in the second quarter, which was capped by a one-yard run-in by fullback James Develin at the goal line.
The Patriots were short-handed at receiver on Thursday night with Julian Edelman, Josh Gordon, Demaryius Thomas and rookie first-round draft pick N’Keal Harry all sitting. So it was up to Brady to lead a ragtag group composed mostly of players that might not even make the team. It was a test he passed with flying colors, finishing 8-of-12 passing for 75 yards.
Rookie wideout Jakobi Meyers struggled to get on the same page with Brady in the short time they were on the field together, but it’s a connection that could obviously develop through experience. Instead, Brady leaned heavily on old faithful, Phillip Dorsett, to methodically move the ball down the field.
“Phillip is a guy that I’ve played a lot of football with, and I have a lot of trust in – experience is a great thing in football if you use it well, and I think our experience together pays off,” Brady said after the game. “I read his body language. I think the great thing about Phil, he takes advantage of his opportunities.”
Trust is everything if you want to catch passes from No. 12.
2) Gunner Olszewski steals the show on special teams
On a night that was marred by what looked like a significant injury to special-teamer Brandon King, undrafted rookie receiver Gunner Olszewski stepped up and delivered an electric performance as a return man. The Bemidji State defensive standout made the switch to receiver when joining the Patriots, but he might have done enough on Thursday to actually land a job on special teams.
ESPN’s Mike Reiss made an interesting comparison between Olszewski and a much younger Edelman returning punts.
It’s important to note Edelman didn’t immediately pop as a receiver, either. He stayed on the roster in more of a gadget role and steadily worked his way up the depth chart. Olszewski still has some work to do before he sees a legitimate shot at receiver, but with Edelman turning 33 years old, he might be granted opportunities to spell the veteran at times on special teams. He definitely earned it on a night when he was averaging 15.8 yards per return on punts.
3) Jarrett Stidham over Brian Hoyer?
One of the most notable occurrences in the third preseason game was Belichick’s decision to give rookie quarterback Jarrett Stidham all of the snaps behind Brady. That may not be good news for backup Brian Hoyer, who could find himself without a job if the Patriots plan on keeping only two quarterbacks.
As Belichick alluded to in the post-game presser, the Patriots already know what they have in Hoyer, who has been a longtime backup in the league. They’re using the majority of the preseason to see what they have in the rookie.
Stidham has been far from perfect, but there is no question he has looked good when he’s been on the field. He has a great command of the offense, and he isn’t afraid to step up in the pocket and deliver hard throws in tight windows. There was an ugly fumble on the Panthers’ side of the field that resulted from him attempting to do too much after a play broke down—a common rookie mistake he will surely learn and grow from. Aside from coughing up his first turnover of the season, he had another impressive preseason outing, finishing the game 15-of-19 passing for 134 yards.
Let the Jimmy Garoppolo part-two hype begin.
4) Sony Michel is crazy underrated
Fans have often wondered what a Brady-led offense would look like with an elite running back coming out of the backfield. Well, the time for wondering has officially ended with Sony Michel in the mix. Don’t be surprised if the former first-round draft pick out of Georgia vaults into the same conversation of many of the other elite running backs in the league.
He looked quick and decisive with his cuts against a good Panthers’ defensive front on Thursday. However, along with the finesse, he also flashed his strength by lowering his helmet when needed and powering forward for the tough yards. He finished the game with 10 carries for 36 yards, but those are skewed numbers due to penalties. A particular play saw Michel juke his way through the defense for a backbreaking 30-yard run, which was nullified by a holding penalty called on Jakobi Meyers.
As good as he was in his rookie season, he looks like he’s ready to take things to the next level in 2019.
5) Defensive dominance on full display
On paper, this defense might be the best Belichick ever coached at New England.
Quarterback Cam Newton and the Panthers offense learned first-hand the dominance they saw on display at Super Bowl LIII was no fluke. The Patriots defense managed to hold them to a grand total of 29 offensive yards in the first half.
Ouch.
They were able to bully the Panthers up front and keep constant heat on the quarterback. The coverage play in the secondary was immaculate, but it was also intriguing to see the creativity and flexibility Belichick had with his linebackers. You’d be hard-pressed to find a deeper group anywhere else in the league, and it showed as they pummeled the Panthers on Thursday.
Veteran defensive end Michael Bennett also registered his first sack when making his official debut with the Patriots. After witnessing a glimpse of the team’s defensive dominance, it’s safe to say stopping Brady may be the least of the problems for opposing teams.
