New England Patriots Recap: Quarterbacks Game Three

Aug 22, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; New England Patriots quarterback Ryan Mallett (15) looks to pass in the third quarter of a preseason game against the Detroit Lions at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

Welcome back to another New England Patriots preseason recap, this one coming off the heels of the Patriots terrible blowout loss to the Detroit Lions. The Patriots team as a whole did not look very good at all, but this recap is solely for the quarterbacks. So, lets jump into this recap, starting with the Patriots golden boy, Tom Brady.

Tom Brady- Brady had a rather tough time in the most action he’s seen all preseason, taking a lot of pressure, and being let down by his backs and receivers. Brady went 16/24 for 185 yards and one interception in the first full half of his season. The Patriots first drive started like the all the other Brady led drives this preseason, marching downfield, including an excellent over the top catch by Kenbrell Thompkins for 37 yards. But things ended rather sour with a Sudfeld fumble after a 20 yard catch. This was just the tip of the iceberg as the Patriots fumbled three more footballs away. Brady even through a really bad-looking interception. Brady also struggled the Lions powerful, yet speedy pass rush, which is something Brady has had troubles with his entire career. Despite that, Brady still looked pretty good, especially without any offensive momentum to work with. This may not have been what Patriots fans had envisioned with Brady getting extended playing time, but it’s a good takeaway, and will keep Brady and this offense from getting complacent as we hurdle towards the start of the regular season.

Ryan Mallett- Ryan Mallett was pretty bad. We all know what Mallett can bring to an offense, a cannon for an arm, arguably one of the strongest in the NFL, but has zero touch on his passes. I got this quote from twitter:

It about sums things up with Mallett. He can rip in those deep balls, and intermediate passes into a tight window, but when it comes to making a finesse play, even on simple throws to the flat, he just flat-out makes bad throws. This is a tough situation, because I really like what Mallett is, and what he could become, he has what you want when you look at a quarterback physically, but with games like tonight, it’s not encouraging in the slightest. He finished this game 11-22 for 96 yards and a touchdown, which came at the very end of the game to fullback James Devlin.

Tim Tebow- Tim Tebow did not play in tonight’s game against the Lions, which is really telling of where he is on this Patriots team, if he can’t get in the game on a 40-9 blowout. Nothing else can be said here, except that his spot on the roster is in serious trouble right now. The Patriots don’t need to keep three quarterbacks on the roster, and with the way that Tebow has looked in his two preseason performances, it’s not looking very good, and getting worse by the day.

This is a learning game for the Patriots, getting the crap kicked out of you is never fun, but it’s sometimes the best thing for a football team to experience. Brady came back down to earth after his two great appearances in games one and two, and Mallett didn’t show much to be excited about. With Brady unlikely to get much time in the Patriots final preseason game, it’s going to fall on the shoulders of Ryan Mallett to jumpstart this offense, and this time, we most likely will see Tebow, potentially for the last time in a Patriots jersey.

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