Patriots Beat Up Giants in 27 to 20 Victory

Also titled; Oh Come, All Ye Backups!...Just to do a quick recap of last nights forth and last preseason game of the 2007 season. The Patriots, playing with all backups, won the game by a 27 to 20 score. It's hard to take anything from this game because it was our backups vs the Giants backups, but some players did show that they should be on the team and some should that they really shouldn't (more on that further down). Overall the Patriots backup defensive and offensive units preformed well. The Pats defense had an interception and harassed whoever was quarterbacking the Giants, totaling eight sacks and forcing two fumbles. On the offensive side, Matt Cassel passed for 99 yards (10 -14) and generally looked posed. Vinny Testaverde and Matt Gutierriz also played well with a combined 147 yards (one TD/G, one INT/V) passing on 20 attempts. Heath Evans had another rushing touchdown, his third of the preseason and forth total. The best running play actually came from wide receiver Bam Childress, lineing up as the tailback in the forth quarter, slashed up a hole in the defense for a 25 yard gain. He has quick feet and good hands so if he does make the team as I hope he does, expect to see him in the backfield.

Players Who Impressed
*Marcellus Rivers - since joining the team in the middle of training camp, Rivers has done nothing but play very well. He totaled 5 receptions for 47 yards last night and almost made an amazing one handed catch. Now a all but lock to make the team.

*Vinny Testaverde - even though he threw the only Patriots interception, his throws were crisp and he can manage an offensive if Brady goes down.

*Eric Alexander - 13 total tackles, two forced fumbles, 1/5 a sack; makes the team.

*Pierre Woods - after a low profile first three preseason games Woods finally broke out and had the type of game fans were hoping for. Nine total tackles and two sacks ain't bad. He's also pretty good in pass coverage and is a special teams monster.

*Le Kevin Smith - huge game for Smith. As one of the more present surprise starters this year (he has started on the Pats defensive line in every preseason game this year), Smith made 14 total tackles and four sacks this preseason. Three of those sacks came last night when he was just unstoppable.

*Bam Childress - four receptions for 39 yards and a touchdown and three rushes for 27 yards including a 25 yard dash in the forth quarter.

*Brandon Meriweather - ten total tackles, more then a couple huge hits, only negative was that he may have got hurt in garbage time (47 sec left in the game) when the Giants scored their last touchdown. He did talk to the media after the game though which is a good sign.

*C.J. Jones & Kelvin Kight - both have special teams experience but also showed last night that they can play receiver as well. C.J., three recptions for 59 yards, and four kickoff returns for 119 yards, and Kight, five receptions for 61 yards, are going to be hard cuts.

*Dante Wesley - had a good game last night in coverage (one int, five total tackles) and showed enough to make me believe that he could be a decent backup defensive back.

Players Who Didn't Impress So Much
*Corey Mays - he was here last year so he knows the system but he didn't do enough in my view to beat out the other guys around him this preseason.

*Tory James - in the last three preseason games James has a a total of three tackles and has gotten beaten too many times while in coverage. Tough cut but I don't think he's worth keeping over some other players such as Dante Wesley or Bam Childress.

*Quinton Smith - needed to have a breakout game to even make the pratice squad and just didn't. 46 yards and a rushing touchdown are decent but he doesn't seem do have much of a burst, a killer for a guy who isn't a powerback in a way.