Preseason Wrap Up: Starters Play, Haynesworth Debuts as Patriots Host the Giants

The New England Patriots, after being torn apart by the Detroit Lions last Saturday, hosted the New York Giants for the final preseason game of 2011.

Headlines:

Most of the starters played. Albert Haynesworth debuts, making a big tackle early in the first quarter. Shaun Ellis suited up as well. Ochocinco played and made a nice catch on a hitch route from Tom Brady.

Quarter by Quarter:  

First Quarter: Ras-I Dowling the rookie cornerback, also played and made an early first impression when he made a key block on a fumble return from teammate Patrick Chung on the Giants first offensive series from scrimmage.

Chung returned the ball to inside the 1 yard line to give Brady and the Patriots a first and goal just like that.  The very next play, Brady handed the ball off to BenJarvus Green-Ellis, who ran it in with relative ease for the touchdown. A point after later, it was an early 7-0 lead.   In a span of 20 seconds, the Patriots defense, and in turn the offense, pulled about as big a complete reversal as you possibly can from the horrendous game last Saturday against Detroit.

On the Giants next possession, they coughed it up again.  This time to another rookie from last season, Cornerback Devin McCourty.  It gave the Patriots great field position less than 3 minutes into the game.  On Brady's first play of the series, he completed a pass to #85, Ochocinco, who many have criticized in the preseason.  At the same time it got Ochoinco going in the offense.  An offense that many say he has struggled with. The Patriots couldn't punch it into the endzone, but settled for a Gostowski field goal, giving his team a 10-0 lead. Brady returned for the third offensive series, hoping to sharpen the rhythm that was non-existent against the Lions.  After a 3rd down sack by Gary Guyton, the Giants were forced to kick a field goal on their next series, making the score 10-3. Brady returned yet again for the fourth series in a row, and made a couple nice passes to Aaron Hernandez, followed by a wide open pass to Matthew Slater. Slater turned it into an eventual 64 yard catch and run play, giving the Pats another first and goal. The clock ran out in the first with the Patriots on the verge of another touchdown and having a 10-3 lead.

Second Quarter: On the very first play of the second quarter, Green-Ellis ran it in for his second touchdown of the game and a Gostowski extra point made it a 17-3 game in favor of the Patriots. The first 16 minutes of the preseason game against the Giants was once more, the definition of a complete 180. The Giants, on the other hand, had butterfingers all night, as they coughed up the ball again - this time on a second and goal attempt at the 2 yard line.  It was the third turnover of the game for the Giants and the game was barely 22 minutes old. On first and ten from their own endzone, Brian Hoyer came in at Quarterback. They couldn't do much with the possession and were forced to punt.  On the punt return for New York, they muffed the punt, continuing their inability to hold on to the football.

The Giants rounded out the first half by shanking a 41 yard field goal attempt on a Giants 4th and 28.  The Patriots ran out the clock and took a 17-3 lead into halftime.

Third Quarter: Brady, along with most of the Patriots regulars, did not start the second half. Neither team started off the second half very well offensively. The majority of starters on both sides were now on the sidelines.  Yet, the play was still sloppy on both sides, and with 6 minutes to play in the third, it was still a 17-3 Patriots lead. The rest of the game was now a chance for players on both sides who were "on the bubble" as far as making the team, to make a case to be on the regular season roster when it's announced later this week. The third quarter came to an end with the same score, and the Patriots holding on to their 17-3 lead.

Fourth Quarter: The fourth quarter started off well for the Giants, as the Patriots completely fell asleep on a Giants faked on fourth and 2, and Darrell Scott ran the ball untouched for a Giants touchdown.  The Giants made the point after and it was now a 17-10 Patriots lead. The Patriots, third stringers or not, continued to fall apart in the fourth, as they fumbled the ball, which resulted in a Giants touchdown, and after a successful two-point conversion, the Giants had suddenly, and surprisingly taken the lead, 18-17, with 9:40 to play in the game. It was, however, a chance for Ryan Mallett, to stage a comeback for his team on the ensuing Patriots possession, and get some real pressure situation experience.  Mallett showed good poise, but they couldn't convert a third down and had to punt it back to the Giants.

Mallett had a few chances to lead his team back, but with the combination of third and fourth string players, and a stagnant Giants defense, it didn't happen.  The clock ran out and the Giants stole the game from the Patriots.

The game didn't count, but it still leaves a sour taste when any lead is given away. The Patriots will now shift their focus to cutting their roster down from 80 to 53 by Saturday afternoon, and then will start to prepare for their regular season opener of the 2011 season.

The New England Patriots open the 2011 season on the road against their AFC East rivals, the Miami Dolphins.  It is a Monday Night Football game and kickoff will be at 7:00 p.m.

Check back here for my Patriots Regular Season Preview, which will be up next week on Foxborough Patch.