There's good news and there's bad news from Thursday night's preseason finale.
The good news is that the focus now turns to the first week of the season, when Drake Maye and the rest of the starters will take the field after being sidelined for all of the preseason. The bad news is that the depth was seriously tested, and things didn't look great in the team's 37-13 loss to the Cleveland Browns.
Here are the top takeaways from the Patriots preseason finale:
1. Mike Vrabel's depth comments proved right
After last week's preseason game, Vrabel made a telling comment, saying they did not have a "very deep team.” He was questioned about this all week, but based on Thursday's game, he was proven right.
He was then asked about the team's performance in their rough loss to the Browns, in which they
struggled on all sides of the ball, saying that it was "not good enough."
"We're going to get back to work, and we have to figure out who we're going back to work with," he said, emphasizing the tough decision the Patriots have to make this weekend.
2. 38 players not in uniform for preseason finale
The starters will see the field for the first time in the season opener against the Seattle Seahawks, as 38 players did not dress for the third and final preseason game.
The players sidelined were CB Christian Gonzalez, WR A.J. Brown, OLB Harold Landry III, WR DeMario Douglas, S Craig Woodson, OLB Dre'Mont Jones, CB Carlton Davis III, QB Drake Maye, WR Mack Hollins, LB Robert Spillane, CB Marcus Jones, S Eric Butler, S Kevin Byard, RB Tre’Veyon Henderson, RB Rhamondre Stevenson, S Brenden Schooler, FB Reggie Gilliam, OT Marcus Bryant, LB Christian Elliss, C Jared Wilson, OLB Xavier Holmes, LB Khalil Jacobs, LT Will Campbell, OL Greg Van Roten, RG Mike Onwenu, OT Lorenz Metz, LG Alijah Vera-Tucker, RT Morgan Moses, C/G Ben Brown, TE Eli Raridon, TE Hunter Henry, WR Romeo Doubs, DT Christian Barmore, OLB Elijah Ponder, DT Cory Durden, and DT Milton Williams.
Newly acquired safety Jaylen Reed, who was part of the Kayshon Boutte trade, also was not in uniform.
3. Bad night for the secondary
This final game was a prime opportunity for players to step up at the cornerback position and prove that they deserve a spot, but it was one that was not taken advantage of. Kindle Vildor has impressed this summer, but struggled to start the game. He was called for a 28-yard defensive pass interference penalty in the first drive and then followed it up by allowing a 21-yard catch in the second series. As for the third, he was in coverage on an impressive 52-yard pass from Dillon Gabriel to Ben Patterson.
Charles Woods, who served as the top backup last season, let up some big plays, including a 29-yard reception in the second quarter. Rookie Karon Prunty, Marcellus Dial, Kobee Minor were also responsible for bad coverage and missed tackles on other major plays that helped the Browns further extend their lead.
4. Kyle Williams impresses once again
Kyle Williams was one of the few top receivers who did play in the final game, and certainly had one of the best moments in a game that didn't produce many highlights on the Patriots' side of things. Williams caught a 45-yard pass in the fourth quarter on the team's first drive on an impressive pass from quarterback Tommy DeVito.
Williams has had a touchdown in all three of the team's preseason games.
5. Matt Haack making the most of his opportunity
The Patriots brought in punter Matt Haack following Bryce Baringer's injury during the second preseason game. But it seems they thought about adding some competition and also working out veteran punter Jamie Gillan on Thursday. It seems Haack took that as a challenge and proved why he deserves the spot.
Haack punted four times for 186 yards with a 46.5 average, including pinning three of the punts inside the 20-yard line. He had a 42-yard punt that was stopped at the two-yard line after an impressive tackle by Quintayvious Hutchins during the third quarter, followed by a 63-yard punt that was also downed at the two-yard line later.
6. Rough night for Behren Morton
On his first pass of the game, Behren Morton's pass was intercepted, bouncing off the foot of tight end C.J. Dippre and intercepted by Browns linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold. A potential second interception was called back after the Browns were called for defensive pass interference. He then had a third interception, throwing the ball right to Cleveland linebacker Justin Jefferson.
He finished going 18-of-27 for 123 yards with two interceptions.
"This is going to be film that I need to watch and correct," the rookie told reporters after the game.
7. Other notes
- Quarterbacks coach Ashton Grant was calling offensive plays in the final preseason game.
- An impressive 50-plus-yard punt from Matt Haack. The Browns then had a horrid punt return, trying to do too much, and ended up going backwards, with Quintayvious Hutchins coming up with a tackle on the two-yard line.
- Tommy DeVito left the game after the second offensive series, finishing 2-of-4 passing for 55 yards and two touchdowns, along with two carries for 18 yards. Behren Morton took over for the remainder of the game.
- Patriots' offensive lineman James Hudson suffered what looked like an arm injury during the game. He left the field with trainers but then returned to the game later.
What's next
The Patriots will return to Foxborough, where the coaching staff and the front office will have some hard decisions ahead as they have to get the roster down from 90 men to 53 players by Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. Then, the focus turns to Week 1, where New England will face off against the Seattle Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch.
Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: 7 takeaways from the Patriots' preseason finale loss to the Browns
