FOXBORO – The New England Patriots welcomed the Philadelphia Eagles to Foxboro this week.
After joint practices and a preseason game against the Eagles on Thursday night, we have five thoughts on where the Patriots stand with just one game remaining before the regular season.
Read on below for roster updates, including Bailey Zappe’s positioning and an overall look at New England’s roster involvement.
Bailey Zappe’s role is decreasing
Bailey Zappe played more than half of the offensive snaps against the Carolina Panthers last week. The third-year quarterback was used in the team’s first preseason game between appearances by Drake Maye and Joe Milton.
And a week later the script changed.
Zappe played just five snaps in the 14-13 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles after coming on with 2:25 left in the fourth quarter. His final play on second down ended in a bad snap on the Patriots’ 46-yard line. The Eagles recovered the loose ball and ended Week 2 of the preseason with the next series.
This is a stark contrast from the week before, when Zappe completed 12 of 20 passes and more than outperformed Milton, who came closest in pass attempts.
“It was always the plan to let him play more,” Patriots coach Jerod Mayo said of Maye. “It was the plan to let him play in the third quarter so we could make some of those adjustments and see if he could handle it, and he has.”
Total Patriots participation
Zappe wasn’t the only 2023 regular to play an important role in the fourth quarter.
Wide receiver Kayshon Boutte, guard Atonio Mafi and tackle Calvin Anderson were all on the field late in the game, often a worrisome sign for veterans facing roster cuts.
The Patriots again had a lot of injuries. Jabril Peppers, Ja’Whaun Bentley, Marte Mapu, Sione Takitaki, Kyle Duggar, Marcus Jones, Shaun Wade, Jonathan Jones, Deshaun Fenwick, Cole Strange, Kendrick Bourne, Hunter Henry, Christian Barmore and Davon Godchaux were all not used.
Takitaki (knee), Strange (knee), Bourne (knee) and Barmore (illness) all remain on the physically unable to perform list. Fenwick is an undrafted rookie running back from Oregon State who signed with New England this week.
The Patriots suffered an injury during the game. Wide receiver JaQuae Jackson (leg) was carried off the field after falling to the ground on the sideline in the fourth quarter. He caught a touchdown pass from Milton in last week’s 17-3 win over the Carolina Panthers.
Eagles bench almost every big name
Thursday night offered a glimpse of a team in need of pre-season repetition and a club ready for the regular season.
Jalen Hurts, Devonta Smith, AJ Brown, Saquon Barkley and all but one of the Eagles’ projected offensive linemen did not play. The offense was left to quarterback Kenny Pickett as Philadelphia’s starters hoped for a longer playoff run than last year’s Wild Card exit.
“I think New England is a really physical team, I don’t think that’s enough rest to put the guys back on the field (after joint practices),” Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said.
On defense, Jalen Carter and Darius Slay did not play against New England. Meanwhile, New England managed to have all four quarterbacks and most of its specialty players on the field even after joint training sessions on Thursday night.
Top linemen stay with Maye
With Maye playing until the third quarter, the Patriots kept their offensive line active on the rookie’s blind side. Mayo’s main concern was keeping the quarterback upright – and he only suffered a single sack.
Sidy Sow and Vederian Lowe played with Maye at left guard and tackle, respectively, until he left the field after the third quarter.
“There’s definitely been some ups and downs,” Mayo said of the offensive line. “I would say there’s a dramatic drop off in performance, not really physically, but just in knowing what you have to do between the first line and the second and third guys. They have to get better as a whole, as a unit.”
Maye needs preseason reps and tryouts with the team’s best.
“(The offensive line) just has to get better, and that comes through football games,” Mayo said. “We have another preseason game coming up. We’re going to play. Football is the only way to get better at football.”
Kick competition
Joey Slye has taken advantage of his latest opportunity to put himself ahead of the seemingly ongoing competition for the Patriots’ kicker position this season.
Slye kicked field goals from 51 and 45 yards with plenty of leg room. His chances came in the second and fourth quarters, respectively, and both kicks were from the more open end of the stadium where the lighthouses were located.
Slye is a five-year veteran of Virginia Tech who has played for five different teams. He spent two seasons at Carolina, moved to three different stations in 2021 and finally landed at Washington late that year. Slye converted 84.8% of his field goal attempts for the Commanders and 89% of his extra points.
Chad Ryland converted New England’s only extra point on Drake Mayes’ second-quarter touchdown run. Last year as a rookie, he missed just one of his 25 conversion kicks, but made just 16 of 25 field goals. All nine of Ryland’s missed attempts came on attempts of 30 yards or more – he hit just 57.1% beyond 29 yards.
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