8 players who stood out during the Patriots’ preseason opener
Not everyone stood out for the right reasons.
A few players may have had their breakout performance in a Patriots’ uniform in New England’s 34-22 win over the Saints on Thursday. Defensive end Trey Flowers and running back Tyler Gaffney each scored their first touchdowns with the Patriots.
The Patriots’ defense generated two touchdowns and four turnovers with two interceptions and two forced fumbles. The offense — playing without nearly all of its first-string players, including Tom Brady — finished with 211 passing yards and 151 rushing yards.
Here are eight players who stood out during the preseason opener:
Trey Flowers: Flowers finished the game with six tackles, which tied for a team-high. He also provided, perhaps, the game’s most spectacular play when he strip-sacked Luke McCown, recovered the fumble, and ran in it for a touchdown.
Trey Flowers with the strip sack, recovery, and TD run! WOW! https://t.co/ePc62e1ZCM
— Rich Hill (@PP_Rich_Hill) August 12, 2016
Jamie Collins: The Pro Bowl linebacker finished the game with three tackles, including one for a loss. He also snagged an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
Martellus Bennett: Four of Garoppolo’s first five passes were directed at Bennett. The veteran tight end had three receptions for 33 yards in 37 snaps. With Rob Gronkowski, Julian Edelman, Danny Amendola, and Chris Hogan not playing, Bennett’s production gave a glimpse of what Garoppolo could accomplish with the first-team skill players.
Malcolm Mitchell: Before suffering an elbow injury in the second quarter, the rookie wide receiver tallied a team-high four catches for 55 yards. He had a nice 24-yard pickup when Garoppolo found a gap in coverage between two defenders. Mitchell also showed some elusiveness with the ball in his hands after a catch on 2nd-and-6 play. After reeling in the pass, he shook a defender’s tackle to pick up a first down with a 14-yard gain.
A.J. Derby: Despite consistent play in training camp, Derby remains understandably buried behind Rob Gronkowski, Martellus Bennett and Clay Harbor on the depth chart. Given opportunities on Thursday, he led tight ends with 47 receiving yards. He also had two special teams tackles. The depth at the tight end position means those special teams tackles could be just as important as the receptions.
Justin Coleman: Coleman stood out for the wrong reasons. Playing slot cornerback with the first-team defense, he got burned by Brandin Cooks on the first play from scrimmage for 37 yards. Saints receiver Michael Thomas later beat Coleman for 25 yards. The veteran cornerback was also flagged for illegal hands to the face. Meanwhile, rookie Cyrus Jones was solid as the No. 2 corner, with Logan Ryan absent during Thursday night’s game.
Cre’Von LeBlanc: What a catch. In the third quarter, the undrafted cornerback pinned McCown’s pass against his shoulder pad with one arm for an interception in the end zone.
Cre’Von LeBlanc with a fantastic one-handed interception to stop the drive. https://t.co/agx16c519V
— Rich Hill (@PP_Rich_Hill) August 12, 2016
Tyler Gaffney: Much of the running back’s success was due to strong blocking from his offensive line — something he noted in the locker room after the game. Playing only in the second half, he finished 66 yards on nine carries. The highlight of his night was a 44-yard touchdown dash.
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