What We Saw: Preseason Week 3

The WWS Team catches you up on the final weekend of the preseason

Ben Brown
What We Saw A Year Ago
Series Navigation
Introduction
Steelers @ Falcons
Colts @ Eagles
Lions @ Panthers
Patriots @ Titans
Chargers @ 49ers
Cardinals @ Vikings
Bills @ Bears
Browns @ Chiefs
Seahawks @ Packers
Jets @ Giants
Bengals @ Commanders
Ravens @ Buccaneers
Dolphins @ Jaguars
Raiders @ Cowboys
Rams @ Broncos
Texans @ Saints

Patriots @ Titans

Final Score: Titans 23, Patriots 7

Writer: Ben Brown (@BenBrownPL on Twitter)

 

With an on-field temperature near 100 degrees at kickoff, this game was played in some tough conditions. The only notable starter to see the field was Ryan Tannehill, and he handed the ball off three times. The Patriots’ offense was particularly bad, while Malik Willis looked serviceable for Tennessee.

 

 

Three Up

  • Malik Willis – Looked poised, in control. His INT was tipped at the line. Solid night for the 2nd year signal caller
  • Ronnie Perkins – The 3rd year, oft injured LB played really well for New England. He also puked on the field at one point (it was 100+ degrees on the field) and bounced back to return to the game two plays later
  • Julius Chestnut – Was able to do whatever he wanted when he was on the field. Scored a TD to boot.

Three Down

  • Bailey Zappe – Had butterfingers all night and couldn’t hold onto the football
  • Malik Cunningham – Not ready to play WR at the NFL level
  • Fans – This was a tough game to watch with 95% of the starters not seeing the field

 

New England Patriots

| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |

 

Quarterback

 

Bailey Zappe: 8/15, 57 yards, 4 sacks, three fumbles (1 Lost)

 

Zappe and the rest of the offense struggled to get much going behind poor OL play once again. He struggled mightily with ball control as he fumbled three times, losing one inside their own 10. It seemed that every time he dropped back to pass on third down he was sacked, which has been a recurring theme all preseason. Zappe took almost every snap at QB and this was easily his worst performance of the preseason.

 

 

Notes

  • No time in the pocket
  • Avoided pressure, then had the ball knocked away. Set Tennessee up with first and goal but the Patriots’ defense bailed them our and held them to a field goal
  • 3rd down sack killed their only decent drive of the 1st quarter
  • Overthrow to Cunningham but Malik appeared to slow down in his route

 

Malik Cunningham: 0/2, sack | 1 carry, 5 yards | 4 targets, 1 reception, -1 yard

 

Cunningham’s inexperience at the WR position really shone in this game. His route running needs a lot of work and he needs to learn when to sit in a zone as opposed to keep running across the field. Zappe threw it his way on multiple occasions and Cunningham either wasn’t in the right spot or couldn’t get his hands on it.

The Patriots will need to get creative if they want to keep him on the 53 man roster, but he is clearly nothing more than a developmental project at this time. He will not be fantasy relevant in 2023.

Notes

  • On the field blocking the gunner on a punt
  • More snaps at WR in the first half
  • Fumbled the handoff on RPO
  • Replaced Zappe, ran two designed QB draws on 1st drive of 2nd half, then Zappe came back in

 

 

Running Back

 

J.J. Taylor: 1 carry, 3 yards | 1 target, 1 reception, 10 yards

 

Taylor was the first RB on the field for the Patriots, potentially a sign of where he stands in the pecking order in this backfield desperate for a 3rd down option. He had a great kick return as seen below, but also fielded a punt in the end zone. He’s had his chances to make the team over the last few years and he always seems to pop in the preseason, but his size could be a limiting factor in New England’s decision making.

 

 

Notes

  • Nice kickoff return
  • Nice catch and run on a screen, did enough to block a defender to give Zappe enough time to get him the ball
  • Fielded a punt in the end zone… why???

 

Kevin Harris: 7 carries, 17 yards

 

Harris earned more snaps than Pierre Strong Jr. once again. I can’t tell if it’s because Strong is the favorite for the 3rd RB position or if they’ve just given up on Strong entirely. I personally have been more impressed by Harris over the last two years, but there’s a reason I’m sitting on my couch and not as an NFL scout.

Notes

  • Weaved his way up the middle for TD. Huge hole opened for him. Untouched.

 

Pierre Strong Jr.: 8 carries, 31 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards

 

Strong didn’t start getting involved until around the 4th quarter. He made a nice juke move of a defender and showed off his speed on a screen to the right. This was against 3rd and 4th stringers, however, and he’s never shown the ability to do it against true NFL competition.

 

UPDATE: On Sunday, Strong was traded to the Browns for OT Tyrone Wheatley Jr. according to Ian Rapoport on Twitter.

 

 

Strong was among the fastest players in the 2022 draft but he’s struggled to get anything going on the ground during his Patriots’ tenure. The Browns have acquired a developmental piece with upside.

 

 

Notes

  • 3rd RB on the field. Is he on the way out?

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Thyrick Pitts: 6 targets, 2 receptions, 26 yards

 

 

Tennessee Titans

| Preseason Week 1 | Preseason Week 2 |

 

Quarterback

 

Ryan Tannehill: Three perfectly executed handoffs, One delay of game

 

Not sure why Tannehill even suited up for this one. He handed off to Tyjae Spears three times and also took a puzzling delay of game on 3rd down. Just gotta shrug this one off and look forward to opening day.

 

Malik Willis: 15/20, 211 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT, 2 sacks | 8 carries, 17 yards

 

Willis stood out in a sea of crap tonight. That’s not to say he shined, he merely didn’t stink as much as everyone else. He looked better than I remember him looking last year. His lone mistake was an INT that was tipped at the line. His second INT was a great play by the defense. He did miss an open receiver in the back of the end zone for a TD, but he made up for it later in the game with this great throw for the score.

 

 

 

 

Notes

  • Severely underthrown deep ball, bailed out by DPI
  • Rocket of a throw on next play, nice throw
  • Poor throw to TE in corner of the end zone, overthrown
  • INT wasn’t quite his fault, ball tipped at the line
  • Threw a TD but I didn’t see it because my feed cut out

 

Running Back

 

Tyjae Spears: 9 carries, 28 yards | 3 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards

 

Probably the most fantasy relevant player to touch the field tonight, Spears touched the ball on Tennessee’s first five plays from scrimmage. New England’s defensive front did a fantastic job of getting pressure in the backfield and bottling him up on most of those touches, and then he went and did this:

 

 

Sure, someone didn’t contain when they should have, but I was under the impression that Spears was a finesse guy with quickness, not a stiff-arm-to-the-shadow-realm guy. Someone’s clearly been studying tape of the King himself.

 

Notes

  • Started, took first carry to the left side and play was blown up by Patriots’ defense
  • Carried on next two plays, got nothing
  • Dropped short dump off on first play of 2nd series, carried on next play
  • Great stiff arm against Jack Jones on 19 yard carry
  • Fumbled but recovered
  • Really the only guy doing anything on offense. A bundle of touches in the first half

 

Julius Chestnut: 9 carries, 30 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 42 yards, TD

 

Chestnut looked good in this game. The Patriots’ defensive front consisted of their second and third stringers, but they gave the Titans’ OL a really hard time for much of the first half. Tyjae Spears struggled for most of his outing, but Chestnut had no problem eating when the ball was in his hands. Most of this was in the late 1st half, early 2nd half.

Notes

  • Broke a couple tackles after hitting a huge hole, 23 yard gain
  • Left wide open, blown assignment, long catch and run. TD catch on the next play. Poor coverage by the LB, bit too hard on the inside cut

 

Jacques Patrick: 15 carries, 76 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 18 yards

 

Wide Receiver/Tight End

 

Colton Dowell: 2 targets, 2 receptions, 49 yards

Kearis Jackson: 1 target, 1 reception, 26 yards, TD

Nick Westbrook-Ikhine: 1 target, 1 reception, 22 yards

 

Notes

  • Caught a laser over the middle from Willis
Series Navigation
Introduction
Steelers @ Falcons
Colts @ Eagles
Lions @ Panthers
Patriots @ Titans
Chargers @ 49ers
Cardinals @ Vikings
Bills @ Bears
Browns @ Chiefs
Seahawks @ Packers
Jets @ Giants
Bengals @ Commanders
Ravens @ Buccaneers
Dolphins @ Jaguars
Raiders @ Cowboys
Rams @ Broncos
Texans @ Saints

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