Patriots Give Up First Touchdown of Preseason
FOXBORO -- After a grueling 11-play 86-yard drive, the New England Patriots defense has finally given up a touchdown to the New York Giants in week one of preseason.
As the first half begins to wind down, the current score stands at 10-7 Giants.
The touchdown drive was unorthodox at best. Despite forcing a third down deep in New York's own territory, the Patriots defense gave up a long fluky completion down the middle of the field that came off second-year safety Joshuah Bledsoe's pass breakup on a deep in route.
Though the New England second- and third-team defenders are flying around the turf, cohesiveness amongst the unit seems weak. After the lucky completion, the Giants were able to systematically march their way down the field on a plethora of busted coverages.
The drive culimated on New York finally scoring on a simple slant route against cornerback Joejuan Williams.
As a whole, this is the first true scrimmage for the 2022 Patriots. After a surprisingly light training camp with multiple days of padded practice but very little actual contact, initial growing pains are to be expected. Especially considering the offense's well-publicized struggles.
On the other side of the field is a Giants squad led by new coach Brian Daboll. A former Patriots assistant and most recently the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, he was the engineer of one of the most explosive passing attacks in recent football memory last season.
Despite New York quarterback Daniel Jones struggling to live up to his No. 6 overall draft hype, Daboll's presence as an offensive mastermind presents a solid challenge for the Patriots defense.
