After falling short against the New York Giants in the preseason opener, the New England Patriots got the bounce-back victory in Friday’s clash with the visiting Carolina Panthers.
At the end of the game, the scoreboard read 20-10 in the Patriots’ favor, but it’s hard celebrating after watching rookie receiver Tyquan Thornton go down with an injury.
The No. 50 overall pick of the 2022 NFL draft left the game in the second half and never returned. He was immediately ruled out of the game with a shoulder injury, which is rarely ever good news.
On the positive side of things, the Patriots offense showed glimpses of what it could be. Quarterback Mac Jones opened things up in a big way early on when slinging a beautiful 45-yard pass downfield and catching receiver Nelson Agholor in stride.
Mac to Nelly to set up the score.
📺: #CARvsNE live now on @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/96KGsfVfy0
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 19, 2022
But the real offensive standouts were obviously rookie guard Cole Strange, along with veteran wideouts Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Tre Nixon. Strange was just as nasty as he was in college up front, particularly in run-blocking, while both Humphrey and Nixon were the leading receivers.
Perhaps the only disappointment offensively has been the inconsistency. The unit has been too up and down to feel comfortable yet about a regular season game.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Patriots dialed up the heat at the right moments, which led to the team netting five sacks. The talent at linebacker is really showing up for the Patriots.
It was also interesting seeing Anfernee Jennings work the edge opposite of Matthew Judon. That’s the very definition of a versatile playmaker making his way onto the field. The defense looks like it could be a legitimate force up front with players like Christian Barmore and Josh Uche coming on strong.
New England wraps up their second preseason game with another Friday night matchup next week against the Las Vegas Raiders.
