The Patriots lost their second pre-season game to the Eagles, 14-13, on a night filled with ups and downs for the New England offense.
The part of the offense that impressed the most was the play of rookie quarterback Drake Maye, who made several impressive throws and even scored a rushing touchdown on a QB run option.
With the inclusion of Drake Maye, here are five main takeaways from Thursday’s pre-season matchup:
Javon Baker is an impressive talent that needs more time to put it all together
Many times this summer, Javon Baker has made highlight-reel plays that make you wonder why he was selected in the fourth round of the NFL draft.
As showcased at the collegiate level, Baker was an impressive outside receiver at UCF who made explosive adjustments mid-route and could elevate to make contested catches. However, one of the main things Baker struggled with was facing off against press coverage, which bothered him on Thursday night.
Early into Drake Maye’s command of the offense, he took a deep shot down the sideline to Baker, who could not make the catch as he was jammed out of bounds early on in his route by physical cornerback Kelee Ringo. A couple of drives later, Maye targeted Baker on another deep ball, which fell incomplete because the rookie receiver could not survive the ground on a diving attempt.
Baker was a raw talent coming out of the draft and remains a talented receiver who needs more polishing. His struggles on Thursday night do not diminish his progress throughout the summer and/or the highlight moments he has produced. One of Maye’s first completions on the night came from an impressive dig-route run by Javon Baker, who made the first-down grab, creating momentum for the entire offense.
The offensive line remained the same
New England’s offensive line for their second pre-season game consisted of the same combination of players as their first game and much of practice as of late: LT Vederian Lowe, LG Sidy Sow, C David Andrews, RG Mike Onwenu, and RT Chukwuma Okorafor.
The interior starters played solid on Thursday. The real issue came from outside tackle positions, especially on the left side, where Vederian Lowe struggled. The offensive line remained the same when Drake Maye took over the offense, outside of a switch at center that saw Nick Leverett take over for David Andrews. More backup rotations were gradually made as Maye saw more offensive drives.
During the WBZ halftime broadcast, Eliot Wolf reiterated that the team is still trying different combinations on the starting offensive line and that the “best five” will play.
The coaching staff may believe that the combination they have been using lately is their best option to win. However, it may be beneficial to move around some pieces and try a different offensive line combination in practice leading up to the final pre-season game next week—perhaps moving Mike Onwenu back to right tackle and making a change on the opposite side at left tackle.
Drake Maye had an encouraging performance
Although the box score was not flashy, Drake Maye had a very encouraging showing on Thursday. He did experience occasional hiccups that are natural for a rookie quarterback, but Maye also had a couple of moments where he did not look like your casual rookie.
A couple of offensive drives in, Maye looked off the safety, which cleared the deep-middle part of the field to allow a long pass attempt for Javon Baker, a beautiful ball that fell out of Baker’s hands when he made contact with the turf.
Four yards out from the end zone, Drake Maye had the opportunity to lead his offense to score the first touchdown of the game, which he delivered. On a QB-run option play, Maye patiently waited for the Philadelphia linebackers to close in on the inside run, to which he then faked the handoff and ran the ball four yards into the end zone.
Throughout the night, Drake Maye’s footwork improved greatly from his days at UNC. Additionally, he consistently made the correct reads and went through his progressions well. Maye still has a ways to go, but his performance tonight was refreshing.
Rhamondre Stevenson is back
After a down year in 2023, vintage Rhamondre Stevenson made a few flash returns in his brief showing in the first quarter. The run-blocking from the offensive line made it difficult for Stevenson to create any breakaway runs. Still, he created several extra yards after getting stuffed at the line of scrimmage on multiple occasions.
Stevenson showcased great balance after contact and proved that he would not go down easy—something that did not happen as frequently last season compared to his rookie season.
This is a very subtle takeaway from the game, but I must mention it since a significant factor in Stevenson’s 1000-yard rushing season in 2022 came from his contact balance and staying on his feet after getting hit.
Joey Slye may be winning the kicker battle
Veteran kicker Joey Slye went 2/2 on field goal attempts Thursday night, hitting from 51 yards and 45 yards out. On the other hand, second-year kicker Chad Ryland has yet to attempt a field goal two games into the pre-season.
Slye also seems to outperform Ryland based on what has been seen in training camp this summer. With Slye proving himself to be the more reliable option, Ryland could be the odd man out and set for a spot on the Patriots’ practice squad as he aims to improve his consistency.
