Going into their preseason finale, there was a lot of hope that the Patriots players still hoping to lock up a spot on the 2026 roster would put on impressive performances to make the otherwise forgettable game a lot more interesting.
That had been the case over the past two weeks, despite New England tying with the Colts and beating the Eagles, but the worst-case scenario happened in Cleveland: they played their absolute worst game of the summer against a team at the bottom of the league.
It was a mostly embarrassing effort that certainly didn't help many avoid a possible cut over the next few days. Because of that, it was easy to pick out the few winners of the night, but difficult to narrow down the losers.
The biggest winners (and losers) from the Patriots preseason finale vs. the Browns
Winner: P Matt Haack
It would be fair to assume that not a single person watching this game on Thursday night would have picked the newly signed punter to be the best player for the Patriots, but that's exactly who Matt Haack was against the Browns.
Filling in for an injured Bryce Baringer and taking over the role for Behren Morton, who used his high school experience to punt for the team last week, the 32-year-old made his job look easy throughout the night, hitting three punts within the 20-yard line and even recording a 63-yard punt halfway through the third quarter.
He was much more reliable than Baringer had been as of late, and it's possible that he makes the roster over him, at least for the time being. If he can be that consistent and reliable during the regular season, then the Patriots deserve a lot more praise for bringing him in.
Loser: EDGE Gabe Jacas
Missing most of the offseason due to contract issues and possibly recovering from an injury has proven costly for rookie Gabe Jacas. He has been in the bottom tier of performers over the past three weeks and, despite making strides in the right direction, was far from solid in this game.
Watching him struggle against the Browns' backups was the latest example of just how far he still has to go, and it's a devastating development for a defense that desperately needs help on the edge, especially with Harold Landry still sidelined.
It doesn't look like the second-round pick will be a starter anytime soon, but hopefully the flashes of good play will become more consistent over time.
Winner: WR Kyle Dixon
Although the receiving corps is jam-packed with talent, which led to Kayshon Boutte being traded to the Texans a few days ago, there are still spots up for grabs on the practice squad, and it looks like Kyle Dixon might be the first one to make that team.
He has been a quiet force during training camp and proved he could be a solid playmaker against the Browns by recording a team-high 8 catches on 8 targets for 71 yards.
Dixon showed many strengths in the second half and seemingly did just enough to keep the Patriots interested as roster cuts loom.
Loser: RB Lan Larison
The battle for the top running back was arguably the hottest roster battle of the summer, with Lan Larison being a top contender to take that role and run with it (literally and figuratively) early in the preseason.
He showed he could do just that over the first two games, but some of his teammates were hot on his tail the whole time. That was particularly true in this game, with Hassan Haskins looking like the clear winner ahead of cutdowns this weekend.
It's a big loss for Larison, who looked primed and ready to be the main running back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and TreVeyon Henderson last year until he suffered a season-ending injury.
Loser: QB Behren Morton
A few impressive weeks taking over for Tommy DeVito led rookie quarterback Behren Morton to have the worst preseason performance of his young career on Thursday.
There was one point this summer when analysts and fans wondered if he would steal the job from the former Giants' starter, as he was giving him a run for his money during the preseason, only for Morton to struggle mightily by missing 10 passes and throwing two interceptions.
That kind of performance might be the difference between making the roster as the QB3 and being relegated to the practice squad and used as an emergency QB on game day.
Winner: EDGE Bradyn Swinson
Like other vulnerable groups on the current roster, pass rushers needed to do all they could to stand out on Thursday night, and Bradyn Swinson accomplished that.
After being cut last year and eventually re-signed, the 24-year-old has turned things around for the better this summer and showed that progress against the Browns. He had a few flashy moments, most notably stopping drives on third down; one of those stops led to a 47-yard field goal, and he jumped over Gabe Jacas, who has continued to struggle so far.
Although he didn't get a sack, he showed a lot of potential with his tackling and great timing to end drives, and with all the question marks across the defensive line, that will go a long way when the Patriots look to make their roster cuts this weekend.
Loser: CB Kindle Vildor
With the starters held out of the game, it was up to the list of backups to do all that they could to earn the primary backup role. Unfortunately for them, they found that task difficult, even for training camp superstar Kindle Vildor.
For most of the summer, the veteran has put on a show, recording a few interceptions over the past few weeks and looking like a near-roster lock because of it. And even though he didn't have a horrible performance against the Browns, he still slipped up enough times to get hit with a big defensive pass interference call that gave them 28 free yards, and that's a big no-no during the regular season.
While it wasn't enough to warrant being cut ahead of Sunday's roster deadline, it is enough for the coaches to consider whether he is the right guy for the CB4 job, and that could lead to a very different future for Vildor.
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