The Patriots took the field for their preseason opener on Friday night, and it couldn’t have gone much better for the team. The Patriots dominated the Commanders for much of the night and walked away with a 48-18 win.
In the preseason, the score and final result doesn’t matter as much as the individual performances do. And, when you win by 30 points, it’s safe to assume there were plenty of solid performances to talk about.
The game started off as exciting as possible when rookie running back TreVeyon Henderson took the opening kickoff 100 yards back to the house. Drake Maye began the game as the quarterback, but he attempted just five passes and didn’t want to do to much, which is understandable.
On defense, the team definitely looked to be playing with a ton of energy and excitement. The unit forced two turnovers and allowed just three points in the first half.
Now, let’s identify the biggest winners and losers from the Patriots’ opener.
Winner: TreVeyon Henderson, RB
As mentioned above, Henderson couldn’t have had a better start to his NFL career. The rookie had a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown, had one run for 18 yards, and caught three passes for 12 yards.
Henderson definitely made the most out of his limited opportunities and gave the team plenty of reasons to be excited about his future. Rhamondre Stevenson is still in place as the lead back, but Henderson is making a case to split carries with the veteran and also be a reliable weapon on special teams.
Loser: Javon Baker, WR
Baker had an incredible summer and seemingly helped his case to be one of the final receivers on the roster. The former fourth-round pick had excellent chemistry with Joshua Dobbs in camp and was one of the most productive receivers in practice.
Thus, many were hoping to see Baker make an impact in the preseason opener and separate himself from the pack. Instead, Baker was only targeted twice and didn’t come down with a catch. Leaving the first game without any offensive stats is disappointing, even if it isn’t entirely Baker’s fault.
Baker did pick up a couple tackles on special teams, which is definitely something Mike Vrabel appreciates, but it would’ve been nice to see some more production.
Winner: Craig Woodson, DB
Craig Woodson has been probably the most impressive rookei on defense this summer, and he continued to shine in the preseason opener.
Woodson led the team with five tackles and also picked up a quarterback hit. The one negative was a potential tackle for loss that Woodson missed, but other than that, it was a solid performance for the rookie. Woodson is proving that he’s ready for the moment and could end up playing a large role as a rookie.
Loser: Joshua Dobbs, QB
Dobbs had been pretty solid this summer, but his performance on Friday night was not the best. Dobbs struggled with his accuracy and completed just five of his 12 passes for 45 yards and no scores.
Dobbs did add a rushing score, which helps his overall statline, but it would’ve been nice to see the veteran pass better. Now, the team will likely be a little bit more nervous if Drake Maye has to miss any time.
Winner: Ben Wooldridge, QB
While Dobbs struggled, third-string passer Ben Wooldridge actually looked pretty solid. The undrafted free agent completed nine of his 12 passes for 132 yards and one touchdown.
After the game, Vrabel even praised Wooldridge, saying he was “excited to see him settle down.” It will be worth watching to see if the UDFA can continue to impress and force his way onto the final roster.
Loser: Ja’Lynn Polk, WR
Polk needed a big game to remain in the running for one of the final wide receiver spots. Instead, the former second-round pick left early with a shoulder injury. That was the same shoulder Polk had surgery on this offseason, which isn’t a great sign.
It also doesn’t help that undrafted free agent Efton Chism III, one of the guys competing with Polk, had a nice game and led the team in catches.
Winner: Efton Chism III, WR
Speaking of Chism, the rookie out of Eastern Washington has to be considered a winner. Chism is competing valiantly for a roster spot, and he caught six passes for 50 yards and one score in his preseason debut.
The shifty receiver had no problem getting open and looked quick out of the slot. Considering Baker and Polk failed to contribute on offense, Chism may have just bumped himself up the pecking order ahead of the second preseason game.
