The New England Patriots rounded out their 2024 slate of preseason video games on Sunday in opposition to the Washington Commanders on Sunday evening at Commanders Stadium.
After a win over the Carolina Panthers and a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, Jerod Mayo discovered extra about his roster getting into his first season with the Patriots.
The standalone matchup on NBC introduced alongside loads of recurring themes from this preseason: a rookie quarterback taking steps ahead, an offensive line incapable of defending him and a preview of the youth set to step up for New England.
In the 20-10 loss to the Commanders, listed below are three studs and three duds for the Patriots from Sunday evening:
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STUDS
— QB Drake Maye
The longer term franchise quarterback from New England carried out like a playmaker on Sunday evening.
Regardless of loads of instability in entrance of him, Maye turned in considered one of his higher performances of the summer time. The rookie led the one scoring drive of the primary half, driving 88 yards and discovering operating again Kevin Harris for an 18-yard landing. He tossed one other on an athletic play shifting to his left to hit Ok.J. Osborn, however a penalty on Chukwuma Okorafor negated the play.
Maye completed the evening finishing 13 of 20 passes for 126 yards and the landing for the Patriots.
— LB Joe Giles-Harris
The linebacker enters his fifth NFL season after earlier stops with the Jacksonville Jaguars and the Buffalo Payments.
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Giles-Harris intercepted a move over the center from Commanders quarterback Jeff Driskel earlier than his return was impacted by a blindside block from the Patriots.
The 27-year-old tallied 5 tackles together with the interception on Sunday.
— WR Ja’Lynn Polk
The 2024 second-round choose continues to point out a powerful potential to make troublesome catches and discover his method open for his quarterbacks.
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Polk had a number of first-down catches for the Patriots, headlined by a 29-yard acquire off of play-action on Maye’s first drive of the evening for New England. His different conversion got here again on a holding penalty from New England’s Michael Jordan.
Polk completed the evening with two catches for 33 yards.
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DUDS
— OL Nick Leverett
The 27-year-old obtained the beginning at heart and instantly discovered himself in bother.
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After the offensive line struggled in entrance of Jacoby Brissett, who left with a shoulder damage, Leverett delivered a pair of dangerous snaps that despatched Maye scrambling to the bottom to leap on the unfastened ball on the rookie’s first drive.
— OL Chukwuma Okorafor
Okorafor had the penalty that negated what could have been the play of the evening on Maye connecting with Osborn for a would-have-been landing.
— OL Sidy Sow
Sow struggled early on as properly. Beginning the play pulling to the proper, Sow couldn’t reduce off Washington edge rusher KJ Henry, who sacked Jacoby Brissett earlier than the Patriots quarterback had his evening shut after only one sequence and an injured shoulder.
As soon as Maye entered, Sow additionally stepped on the quarterback’s cleat and left the rookie to dump off a move with only one shoe.
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Sow later left the sport with an ankle damage.
